A South Korean boy is all smiles as a U.S. soldier puts him atop a self-propelled gun at a U.S. artillery base in the city of Dongducheon, north of Seoul, on Jan. 19, 2012, during an event for mingling with the local community. (Yonhap)

– U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Korea delivered a portion of Toys for Tots donations collected during this year’s drive to three orphanages in the cities of Pocheon and Yangju, Republic of Korea during their fourth of nine trips into the Gyeonggi Province, Dec. 17.

“Last year we supported more closely to Seoul. We need to reach further out into the community. Outside of Seoul, people don’t know about Toys for Tots,” said Gunnery Sgt. Min Ellis.

The Marines’ Good Neighbor Program received a list of 35 orphanages in 17 cities from the province’s governmental council. The orphanages selected were those that could best use these donations in their annual program. More than 2,000 children throughout the province are scheduled to receive gifts from Marines.

Kim Kyung-tae and his wife teamed up with the program earlier this year to assist in getting a memorandum of understanding with the province’s government signed. It ensures the program and other services will be jointly worked for years to come.

The 64-year-old tradition allows for new experiences each year for service members, volunteers and children who are able to receive the gifts.

“It’s all worth it when you have that moment to see how happy the children are to have received a gift,” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Philip Hopkins. “Without words, a child grabs your hand, pulls you to sit down and plays with you or hugs you. That’s the personal satisfaction I get from the program, knowing that I made a small but lasting, positive impression.”  [USFK.mil]

You can read the rest at the link.

Via 2ID Facebook.

302nd BSB received a commendatory citation from Gyeong-gi Province at Dongducheon City Hall 1 December. Mayor Oh presented the citation and medal to Lt. Col. Anthony McQueen, 302nd BSB commander, on behalf of Governor Moon Soo Kim at the city government awards ceremony.

Via the 2ID Facebook site.

Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division’s 4-2 Attack Battalion visit children at Jacob’s Orphanage.  You can view more pictures here.

One retired U.S. soldier has become the face of friendly community relations to honor his Korean-American daughter’s legacy of building bridges between unlikely sides.

Christopher Vaia, better known by community children as “Balloon Ajeossi,” is spending his retirement years by serving up smiles, lending a friendly ear and making balloon animals for the local community.

A retired Army sergeant major, Vaia has been reaching out to those in nursing homes, orphanages, veteran’s hospitals and other social welfare homes.

Recognized by the Korean social welfare community, the 65-year-old was one of the first to be recognized by newly elected Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon as an honorary citizen of the capital.

But Vaia’s journey of spreading joy came from an unfortunate start: The death of his 13-year-old daughter, Jeni, in 1991.

Jeni died in 1991 of an asthma attack, which would have left most fathers in despair, but Vaia was motivated by it, along Jeni’s ability to bring communities together.

“Everything is based upon my desire to honor my daughter,” said Vaia.

“We came up with a little idea of a bridge and that’s how it all got started, to bridge the young and old, Japanese and Koreans.”

Vaia brought the very same idea to the county that he now calls home and brings together Koreans and fellow U.S. citizens to spread a little laughter, Patch Adams-style.

One way Vaia achieves this is through an organization called Bridgebuilders 46, which attempts to “bridge” U.S. and Korean communities together ― something especially needed now, as tensions are high after crimes committed by U.S. soldiers.

The organization teaches Korean and U.S. volunteers to create balloon animals, a skill that Vaia taught himself and finds a useful way of spreading joy, and together they visit various welfare centers over the weekend.

Vaia also partners with numerous organizations, including the Korean American Youth Alliance, the Korean Association of Retired People, and the Association of Korea-U.S.A. Friendship Alliance.

With these organizations, Vaia does anything and everything from teaching conversational English, tending graves of U.S. soldiers, listening to stories and just being a friend to those in their last hours. [Korea Herald]

You can read more at the link.

Wheelchair-bound Shin Hyung-jin, “Korea’s Steven Hawking,” was reunited Thursday with the American general who saved his life in 2004.

They met in a hotel room in Banpo, southern Seoul. Leon J. LaPorte, former ROK-US Combined Forces Commander, got on his knees to be able to meet the gaze of Shin, 28, who reclines in a wheelchair due to paralysis from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Shin moved his lips to mouth the words, “Thank you.”

LaPorte, 65, who is now retired, nodded.

Shin’s mother, Lee Won-ok, 65, can read her son’s lips. She told LaPorte, “With the money that he has earned, Hyung-jin wants to treat you to the most expensive lunch.”

Without the help from LaPorte in 2004, Shin may not have survived – and gone on to graduate school and a job developing special smartphones for the disabled.

Shin’s story is well known in Korea. At only six months old, he was diagnosed with SMA, and the doctors were not hopeful about his future.

But his mother was determined he could make something of his life. She pushed him around school in a wheelchair and turned the pages of his textbooks at home at night.

Academically, Shin excelled and made it to Yonsei University. Although he is unable to lift a finger, he communicates via a specialized mouse triggered by blinks of the eyes.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read more at the link, but maybe he can treat General LaPorte to lunch over at Phrawgh’s Tavern?  ;-)

Soldiers from the 6th Battalion, 52d Air Defense Artillery proudly marched in traditional Korean military costumes as part of Suwon's annual historical re-enactment of a key moment in Korean history. Wearing traditional military garb instead of uniforms and carrying spears instead of M-16s, the Soldiers have become an iconic part of the parade through the historic site of Hwaseong Fortress. “The reaction of the Korean people was really great, “ said Capt. Raleigh Voight, the battalion signal officer. “The Soldiers had a great time and the Koreans just loved it.” The American Soldiers support the Suwon event with volunteer hours and participate in the parade every year.

Via the Good Neighbor website.

Honorary name: Brigadier General Richard Stevens, left, commander and division engineer for the Pacific Ocean Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, receives a plaque on which his Korean name, Shin Taek-su, is inscribed from Suh Jin-sup, president of the ROK-U.S. Alliance Friendship Association, at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, Friday.

Via the Korea Times.

On Friday, August 19, 2011, 19 Sailors from Commander, Fleet Activities
Chinhae (CFAC) and its tenant commands joined 25 residents and staff from the Changwon Pulip Maeul (CPM) for a day of fun as they headed out together for a bus tour of the city of Changwon.
Sailors and children with special needs were matched up with one another. They quickly warmed up to each other and had no trouble becoming friends.

Throughout the day, Sailors interacted with the children and assisted in transporting wheelchair-bound residents on
and off the bus for several sightseeing stops including Gyeongnam Provincial Art Museum, Jinhae Pavilion, and Jinhae Dream Park.
A highlight of the day came at the Jinhae Pavilion which is located off the Jinhae Bay. While the Sailors and CPM children were having lunch together, a high school choir director walked up and offered to sing for the group.

The teacher mentioned that her students noticed and were impressed with what the U.S. Sailors were doing for the special needs children, and that they wanted to sing for them and the children. The choir sang beautiful songs and even performed a couple of special dance routines.

To this unexpected response, the Sailors caught onto the purpose of what giving to the community is all about. LS1 Hiram noted, “This was an extraordinary event, and I felt honored to be a part of it. I gave only a little but received so much more.”   [Good Neighbor Website]