Skip to main content

2015-10-22 Even the interpreter cried!^^ TNKR@Osan Air Force base


Teach North Korean Refugees presented today at the Osan Air Force Base to an overflow crowd of at least 500 air force personnel and spouses (more than 300 were military personnel).
  • One speaker delivered his talk in English, another speaker spoke in Korean. It was quite a sight to see the interpreter lose his composure while he was translating. Then I looked in the audience, and many of those tough soldiers were also crying.
  • Getting it done! An awesome lieutenant got this done. Many people talk about arranging events for us, then, nothing happens, or we keep talking. The first time was slightly smaller scale, maybe 150 to 200 attendees. But today, it was an overflow crowd, at least 500, plus some high-ranking people joined us.
  • Many people came over to thank me for TNKR presenting their stories. They are military people, so they appreciated hearing the human side about North Korea, about the people inside the country, about their escapes and adjustment.
  • For our speaker who was in the North Korean military, he admitted that was a bit nervous looking at all of those U.S. military people. He had been taught in North Korea that he must try to kill U.S. soldiers anytime he saw them. But he met the “enemy” today, and they were friendly, respectful, gave him congratulations, and even gave huge gift baskets to both of the speakers.
  • * If he is ever questioned by North Korea about the event:
Q: Comrade! Is it true that you gave a speech before the enemy US soldiers?
A: Yes! I made them cry, that’s how tough I was.
Q: Then what happened next?
A: Oh… they applauded me, hugged me, and gave me gifts… But I made them cry, I promise…

  • After the speeches, we joined them at a casual discussion over pizza and soft drinks. So many people wanted to talk with our two speakers today, take photos with them, and also asked me how they could volunteer for TNKR. I recommended a couple of things, and they are military people, so one thing they apparently believe in is following up, getting it done!
  • I will post more photos, I will need to mosaic them first…  
www.lovetnkr.org/donate



















French version, translated by Alexia Andrieux
TNKR à la base aérienne d’Osan : même le traducteur a pleuré ! ^^
Aujourd’hui TNKR a pris la parole à la base aérienne de Osan devant plus de 500 soldats et épouses.
  • L’un des intervenants a pris la parole en anglais et l’autre en coréen. C’était impressionnant de voir le traducteur perdre son sang froid au fur et à mesure de sa traduction. J’ai donc regardé dans  l’assemblé et un grand nombre de ces soldats étaient, eux aussi, entrain de pleurer.
  • Agir ! Un formidable lieutenant a permis que cela se fasse. Beaucoup de personnes nous disent qu’elles vont organiser des événements pour nous, puis rien ne se passe, ou nous nous contentons de parler. La première intervention avait été réalisé à plus petite échelle, quelque 150 ou 200 personnes étaient présentes. Mais aujourd’hui, un grand nombre de personnes étaient présentes, au moins 500, dont quelques personnes haut placées.
  • Beaucoup de personnes sont venues à ma rencontre pour me remercier du fait que TNKR ai partagé leurs histoires. Etant militaires, ils apprécient d’entendre évoquer par des nord-coréens les conditions de vie dans leur pays, l’histoire de leur fuite et de leur adaptation à leur nouvelle vie.
  • Notre intervenant qui faisait partie de l’armée nord coréenne nous a confié qu’il était un peu nerveux en voyant tout ces militaires Etats-Uniens. En Corée du Nord on lui a appris qu’il devait essayer de tuer chaque militaire Etats-Unien qu’il voyait. Mais aujourd’hui il a rencontré l’« ennemie », un « ennemie » amicales et attentionné le félicitant pour son intervention, et offrant même un énorme panier cadeau à chacun des orateurs.
  • Si le gouvernement Nord coréen l’interroge un jour au sujet de l’événement :
Q : Camarade ! Est-il vrai que tu as prononcé un discours devant nos ennemies les soldats Etats-Uniens ?
A : Oui ! Je les ai fait pleurer, voici à quel point j’ai été pénible. Q : Que s’est-il passé ensuite ?
A : Euh … Ils m’ont applaudi, m’ont serré dans leurs bras, et m’ont donné des cadeaux … Mais je les ai fait pleurer, je vous le promets …
  • Après les discours, nous avons rejoint les soldats afin de discuter autour de pizzas et de sodas. Aujourd’hui, beaucoup de personnes voulaient parler avec nos deux orateurs, prendre des photos avec eux, et même leurs demander comment ils pouvaient aider TNKR.
  • Je leur ai donc adressé plusieurs recommandations et comme ils sont militaires, l’une des choses en lesquelles ils semblent croire est : agir !
  • Je posterais plus de photos une fois que j’aurais terminé d’en faire une mosaïque.

Popular posts from this blog

Breen's column that outraged Samsung

“What People Got for Christmas” Michael Breen The Korea Times December 25, 2009 At this time of year when Seoul’s bare winter trees are wrapped in beckoning lights ― blue and white are the in colors ― and Merry Xmas signs at hotels and department stores are really saying come-hither-gentle-reveler-and-empty-your-purse, and when expensive restaurants belch noisy year-end office party groups onto every street and the karaoke rooms are full, it is tempting to declare that Christmas has lost its soul. But that would be a mistake. Christmas is a time for giving, and, before they can be given, gifts have to be bought. Commerce is good. Here, as proof, is a round up of some of the gifts given and received today by people in the news. Samsung, the world’s largest conglomerate and the rock upon which the Korean economy rests, sent traditional year-end cards offering best wishes for 2010 to the country’s politicians, prosecutors and journalists, along with 50 million w...

2015-01-09 Asia Liberty Forum (Kathmandu, Nepal)

I was pleased to be one of the speakers at the 3rd Asia Liberty Forum, held this time in Kathmandu, Nepal. Freedom Speakers International has presented at the Asia Liberty Forum several times. I was invited in 2014 and have been able to invite North Korean refugees to also speak at the forum. 2014, New Delhi, India Speakers: Chanyang Ju, Casey Lartigue Jr. https://caseylartigue.blogspot.com/2014/01/07-09-ALF-India.html http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2014/01/137_149698.html https://www.facebook.com/CaseyLartigue/posts/1308010646009594 2015, Kathmandu, Nepal Speaker: Casey Lartigue https://caseylartigue.blogspot.com/2015/01/2015-01-09-asia-liberty-forum-kathmandu.html 2018 Jakarta, Indonesia Speakers: Eunhee Park, Casey Lartigue FSI was named a finalist for the Asia Liberty Award https://caseylartigue.blogspot.com/2021/01/11-Asia-liberty-award.html https://www.atlasnetwork.org/news/article/organizations-from-afghanistan-nepal-south-korea-named-finalists-for-asia-l 2019, Colomb...

Michael Jackson & Prince

Michael Jackson, born August 29, 1958 Prince (Rogers Nelson), born June 7, 1958 Note: Originally posted 1/31/05; reposted in honor of Prince performing at the Super Bowl this weekend... Once upon a time, I wanted to be Mike. Michael Jackson was the lovable lead singer of the Jackson 5 during the 1960s and 1970s. His family had been poor, so it is no surprise that they were releasing at least one album a year. Michael was the family's lottery ticket. I was a big-time fan. I was a member of the Jackson 5 fan club. My brothers and I tried to be just like Mike. I'm the tallest of the three. Check me out, I was so C-O-O-L ! Look at that 'Fro. Could there have been a cooler Bible-carrying kid? I could have hid entire African villages under that cap. And the African villages that could not have fit in that Afro could have squeezed into my bell bottoms. You'd have to pay me money to wear those beads today, but I was stylin' then. But it was clear that I was destined to beco...

Does a flower turn to the sun?

I tend not to address points raised by people commenting on posts. In the back-and-forth of such discussions, people sometimes say things they don't mean or take extreme positions. In other cases they are just trying to be provocative, especially when they can remain anonymous. But a discussion on Greg Mankiw's blog caught my attention. That's because a couple of the folks suggested that parents don't really have the knowledge to make decisions about the quality of schools. Between 2002-2004 I was actively involved in the fight to get school vouchers for families in DC. I often heard the argument that parents don't know how to choose between good and bad schools and that, anyway, parents had enough choices with the school system's "out-of-boundary" options and charters (that had also been opposed). Without getting too deep into the out-of-boundary program, I'll point out that Woodrow Wilson HS, considered one of the best schools in the city, recei...

How not to get your ass beat by the police

The black president of the United States stupidly commented on the arrest of a black Harvard professor in his own home by a white police officer. Some random thoughts and memories: * I'm sure most people are still trying to figure out who Prof. Gates is. As G.K. Chesterton once wrote: "Journalism consists largely in saying 'Lord Jones is dead' to people who never knew Lord Jones was alive." * Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said Gates' arrest was "every black man's nightmare." Perhaps. But having a criminal in my house is even more of a nightmare. Also, having the president of the United States talk off the cuff about me about something he doesn't know is pretty bad. And getting shot by a cop after I escalated a situation would also be worse than getting arrested. Anyway, I have had my own dealings with the police over the years: * Back when I was a college student many many moons ago, one of my brothers and I got stopped by police in Bro...