Audrey
Seoul, South Korea
My dad was stationed in Yongsan when I was born. Because of this I was born in a Korean hospital called Cha Hospital. My first language was Korean because I went to a Korean pre-school. Being a military child allowed me to experience the Korean culture, something I would not get a chance to do if my dad was not in the military. I’ve been a military child for a long time.
My dad was a commander of a unit in Korea. When he was a commander, the soldiers in his unit treated me very nicely. My mom was also the leader of the Family Readiness Group. Because of this, we were allowed to go to Hawaii on business trips together. Before then I had never been to Hawaii before.
When my dad and I go to the movie theater on base, we have to stand and put our right hand over our heart while the American anthem plays. We only do that on military bases. However, when I went to other movie theaters in California and Korea, we did not have to stand for the national anthem. I like showing respect to our anthem.
Being a military child, I got to experience my dad’s Assumption of Command and Change of Command ceremonies. I fondly remember these events because my dad gave long speeches in front of his soldiers, family, and friends. Some of my family members were there and my mom received flowers. Military customs and traditions are pretty cool.
All in all, I’m proud to be a military child. I am glad I was given the opportunity to grow up in Korea. I know being in the military is not easy for my dad and I appreciate the sacrifices he has made for me, my family, and our country.