Korea a different place as veteran returns

When Dennis Lane left Korea in 1953 after a 16-month tour of duty, the country was in shambles. The Valley Stream resident recently returned to the country after nearly six decades, and marveled at the transformation.

“It was well worth it to see,” he said. “They went to work and they rebuilt their whole country. I was really amazed.”

Lane served in the U.S. Army with the 76th Engineering Battalion and was deployed from January 1952 to May 1953. His battalion rotated locations every four to six weeks, building bridges, digging up minefields and establishing communications connections. He was a wireman, so he spent a lot time climbing polls to hang lines.

Only recently did Lane learn about trips, sponsored by the South Korean government, for United States servicemen and women who fought in the Korean War. He said the trips have been offered since 1975 and the government picks up the tab for food and the hotel.

Lane traveled with his son, Brian, and the pair landed at Incheon Airport, west of the capital city of Seoul, on May 23.

On his recent week-long trip, Lane was joined by about 200 other Korean War veterans, all in their 70s or 80s. Unfortunately, he said, he didn’t run into any of his old military buddies but made some new friends. The camaraderie amongst veterans from the era is special, he explained, especially when sharing war stories. “When we talk amongst each other, we know what we’re talking about,” Lane said. “It’s hard to express to someone who wasn’t there.”

Lane said that there was an itinerary each day, which included stops at various notable locations in South Korea. He said he saw the building where leaders agreed to a cease fire, and also visited a wall honoring those killed in action. He recognized a few names.

There was a big banquet and each veteran was presented with a medal. The group also met South Korean schoolchildren, and each veteran was paired with a student. Lane said the young girl he was with, about 14 or 15 years old, asked him several questions about his experience. He also saw a reenactment of a Korean War battle.

What was most noteworthy about the trip, Lane said, was how gracious the people of South Korea are to the veterans of the war. He said even those who are a generation or two removed from the fighting have a knowledge of the war and an appreciation for American servicemen and women. “They came over, out of their way, and shook hands with us,” Lane said.

Brian Lane recalled one instance where, after a trip to the Demilitarized zone, his father was walking down the street with him name tag still on and a South Korean man stopped him. The man asked Dennis Lane if he was a Korean War veteran. When Lane said yes, the man held out his hand, expressed his thanks and told Lane that the prosperity South Koreans enjoy would not have been possible without the service and sacrifice of the United States military.

“My father hesitated a few seconds because in 57 years I don’t think anyone had ever said those words to him,” Brian Lane said. “Dad thanked him for his kind words and we continued on with our shopping. But my dad was quiet for a while, I’m sure reflecting on the man’s’ words. After a few minutes had passed my dad looked at me and said ‘that was nice.’”

Dennis Lane, a resident of Valley Stream for 50 years, is a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament Church. After the war, he went to work for Breyer’s Sealtest, and retired from Kraft Foods in 1983.