Thank you for fighting for my existence...

I wrote this in 2016 for Memorial Day and I thought of it today. I am deeply indebted to the U.S. Military. Thank you for fighting for not only my freedom, but for my existence. You are my heroes.

Tomorrow will be a busy day for everyone so I wanted to write this tonight. I will try to put into words the thoughts that have been whirling through my mind today as I go about my day running errands for the holiday tomorrow.

I want to say thank you to all of the families of those that died for our freedom, however, I especially want to thank the families of the African American soldiers that fought during the times when they weren't truly free here at home.

I just finished reading a book called "Devotion,” and I recommend it to every one. During the Korean War, there was a man named Jesse Brown who became the first African American Navy Pilot. While home on leave, he would have rotten fruit thrown at him while dressed in his officer's uniform. He would be refused service at restaurants that his lower ranking friends could go into. I think about the fact that he fought for those that hated him so much.

I'm also taken back to a conversation with my mom, a little Korean woman. She said that she was so thankful for American soldiers because otherwise she would have had to live under the rule of the Kim regime. You see, my grandmother, Park OngNae and my grandfather, Chong TaeHyong, had a little 8 month old baby girl named HaSun, when North Korea crossed the 38th parallel and invaded their home. The North Korean army rained devastation and destruction upon their country until The United States came to push the North Korean army back and save South Korea.

One of the soldiers that died in that war was Jesse Brown. He had no idea the day that his plane went down that he was fighting to preserve the life of a little baby that would eventually marry an American soldier and give birth to me. I would not be here if it wasn't for him and all of the others that fought for a free South Korea and a free America. I don't understand why he fought for an America that did not honor him in the way that he should have been honored, but I'm glad he did.

I don't understand why other African American soldiers fought for freedom when they did not experience true freedom here. The only thing I can think is that they had a deep sense of hope for the future - that they fought for the America that they wanted not the one they had.