My family's military service in the Republic of Korea started during the 1950-1953 Korean War. My grandfather, a fighter pilot, was killed in a prisoner of war encampment in a coal mine in North Korea in 1952. His fighter was shot down and he crashed in a hilly hamlet north of Pyongyang. He survived the crash but was beaten and starved as a prisoner of war. Badly needing medical attention for his wounds, Granddaddy was treated by Chinese medical technicians, but the brutality he suffered at the hands of the North Koreans finally took its toll. He died two and a half months after his capture. The horror!

In the 1960s, my father served as a surgeon at the US Army Medical Evacuation hospital in Seoul. My sister and I were stationed there with him, and my uncle (Daddy's brother) was a fighter pilot serving in Korea at the same time. We left in 1969 when I was 14.

I returned to Korea in the 1980s to serve as a Battalion S3 and later as a company commander in the US 2nd Infantry Division. I loved my tour in Korea and saw many changes from the 1960s. Democracy and the Olympics were two great feats for Korea. My children learned to speak Korean too, her mother is of Korean birth.

Our eldest son, now studying as an ROTC Cadet at Texas A&M will be commissioned as a US Army 2nd Lieutenant this summer. He has requested an immediate assignment to Korea.

Like Great Grandfather, like Grandfather, like father, like son, my son's service in Korea will mark a historical first between our two great nations. Four generations of US military officers serving in Korea.

The recent wave of anti-American protests has caused me to re-think my family's service to your country. I doubt the significance of our continued presence in Korea, but I fear that four generations of my family's sacrifice to keeping your country free from communism will go unnoticed by the younger generations.

In the past, my family had always been treated well by a grateful Korea. My family has always been proud of our contributions and sacrifices to the freedom and democracy of your country.

But now I feel dirty and cheap, like a whore who has received payment for allowing Korea to use my body for its pleasure! Tarnished and corroded have become the memories of my family's sacrifices one ultimate sacrifice to your country. How could the youth of Korea become so anti-American? How could the Korean government allow this to happen? How could Korean teachers and professors allow their students to become so complacent?

While my family rang in the New Year with cheer and fireworks and good feelings, American news media showed Korea ringing in the New Year with anti-American protests. Yes, the NGOs and now even the government say the demonstrations are more nationalistic than anti-American. The world can see through this bluff. Make no mistake! These rallies are indeed anti-American!

In a recent visit to my son's college campus, a Korean student studying there berated me, and thus my family. He said that the only reason Americans fought in the Korean War was to protect American interests. How preposterous! First, how could Korea teach its youth such lies? Second, how could America allow such a person to enter our country to study at such a fine university? Is this the price we pay for keeping Korea free?

Regards to you all, and Happy New Year

Scott F. Coiner Austin, TX Served in Korea in 1967-1969 as a military dependent and 1980-1983 as a US Army Captain