DONGDUCHEON, South Korea -- Winston Churchill, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom once said, 'We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.' Volunteering to help out others may seem difficult at first, but it is a noble act that anyone can do.
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 38th Field Artillery Regiment, 210th Field Artillery Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, joined fellow local volunteers and community members for the 10th Annual Dongducheon Volunteer Festival as a part of the Good Neighbor program October 18, 2014.
The festival began with the opening ceremony featuring students from Sangyeon Elementary School playing 'Samulnori', or Korean traditional percussion, followed by a parade of numerous volunteer groups that are active in Dongducheon.
After the opening ceremony, local citizens were able to experience more than 80 booths that ranged from food and entertainment to science and industry. The booths were set up by the volunteers for people to enjoy and experience.
The 1-38 FA Battalion provided a static display of a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle and a Multiple Launch Rocket System. They also created a rubber band gun shooting gallery for children to enjoy.
According to Ms. Lee Pok-hee, the director of Dongducheon City Volunteer Center, the festival was organized to bring about more understanding of the various volunteer works among the citizens.
"We have about 200 volunteer groups in Dongducheon and we have them come and show the citizens what they do, showing them what it is about," said Lee. "We want to have more people notice the meaning of service and take part in the work themselves."
Currently, the city has a population that is slightly under 100,000. However, Dongducheon boasts more than 20,000 people who take part in volunteer work. During the festival, about 1000 volunteers came from approximately 100 different groups to showcase what they do.
According to Lee, about 10,000 people showed up to enjoy the festival and take part in the different booths that have been set up.
She also mentioned how the Soldiers from the 210th FA Bde., 2nd Inf. Div., take part in various volunteer work themselves.
"The U.S. Soldiers are very enthusiastic when it comes to volunteering and I think it helps to integrate with the local community here," said Lee. Also by taking part in the festival with the static display of the military equipment, citizens were able to feel closer and connected to them.
Lt. Col. Timothy LaBahn, the Deputy Commander of the 210th Field Artillery Brigade, mentioned how the relationship with the volunteer center helps the brigade to interact with the local community and bring it closer to the people of Dongducheon.
"It [volunteering] allows the Soldiers to get out to the community and be seen," said LaBahn. "It is also good for the Soldiers as well because it gives them the opportunity to volunteer and help people while they are here in Korea."
For Pfc. Cho Min-jae, from Suwon, South Korea, a human resources specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Bn. 38th FA Regt., it was a chance to experience the satisfaction that volunteer work brings.
"There were a lot more people than I thought there would be and that felt good," said Cho. "Our booth was quite popular with little kids and it was really nice watching them have fun."
According to him, it was an opportunity to bring the two different cultures together as well.
"I think it was nice that the Soldiers were able to communicate with the locals, playing around with them, laughing and smiling, than rather see them through the news or in front of the post."
1st Lt. Addison Clincy, from Winston-Salem, N.C., the Civilian Military Operations Officer for the battalion, stressed the importance of working together with the community to build a better relationship and strengthen our alliance.
"It helps with the alliance overall, the idea of the alliance and the cohesion between the two cultures," said Clincy.
He also had some advice for our soldiers who might be sitting around with nothing to do.
"Spend more time being a selfless person. Grab the chance to get out and taste a little bit of the culture and learn more about Korea," said Clincy.
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