The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-06-12
KOREA DESCRIBED
FOR OUR READERS
BY CDR. MIDGETT
Rodanthe Man Hopes for
Peace and Return Home
Best Place in the
World

tive of Rodanthe,- has a reSpon
sible job with the Navy in charge
of fleet activities in the Korean
war zone. Commander Ellery c.
Midget who has been overseas
for more than year gives our
readers graphic account of life
over there. He gets our paper re-
gularly overseas, although a bit
late, and on June 6 we received
a letter from him dated May
30th. He says:
The Korean battlefront burst
into full-scale war last night
MAY 29) as about 5000 knife
and club welding Chinese
crashed United Nations line
along a four mile front in the
west. The frontal attack began
about 8 o'clock last night just
after sun set. Heavy fighting is
continuing. My officers and men
went into action a few hours
after the first attack evacuating
the wounded to hospital ships off
shore. This is just one of the
many duties our navy is doing
out here. 1t is just routine for us.
One week ago today 1 had the
honor of plotting the $4,000 ton
class battleship, u. S. S. New
jersey" sister ship of the Miss
ouri', into Inchon harbor, after
which attended reception at
the Presidents Palace in Seoul,
given by the President and Mrs.
Syngman Rhee in honor of v.
Admr. Clark, Commander Sew
enth Fleet, and his staff.
Commander Midget has fur
nished a most interesting des-
cription of Korea and its Gus
toms which should be of interest
to our readers, and which
follows:
Seoul is the war battered
capital of Korea, which / will
describe briefly. 1t is a city of
size and magnitude from a dis
lance. Up close, the war has
taken its toll. The impersonal
stride of war has flattened
whole areas, leaving a lonely
wall, concrete smokestack and
piles of bricks; there are other
sections where buildings stand
marked only by age.
"The city of brick and morton,
of reinforced concrete, is almost
mortally wounded. In between
the blasted areas, and those I'M
touched are Quilted shells still
standing but empty. The capital
building is one Of those. A burn
ed out hulk.
Business as Usual
There are electric lights and
street cars, and the streets are
IN good condition considering.
Most business is conducted on
those streets or in stall-like shops
along them.
1.-THE shops are small, open
faced; the goods are consumer
items for local citizens and SOU
venir articles for the u. N. Fore
es. Business isn't exactly what
you would call roaring but the
proprietors get along. Food deal
ers make out too. Seoul is a
hungry city. The food is sold
from the open stalls or from
little carts and the sales techni-
que is sing-song chant of the
quality of the produce.
There are smells in Seoul.
Most of them unpleasant, and
during a stroll through the mar
ket places the nose is most cruel
ly assaulted by odors of Asia.
There are 100000 people in
Seoul City and at least half of
them must be children. They are
all over the city; they have turn
ed the rubble of war into plav-
grounds and their favorite game
seems to be throwing rocks at
each other.
Hard Life for Kids
Depending on their luck.
there are two types of children.
Those in school and those not
The school children wear the
black military uniform, eniov a
regular, if spare diet, are adept
at volleyball and soccer; they
get lot of days off to attend
government sponsored rallies and
demonstrations and they don't
have too much to worry about.
Around the Seoul PIX are the
other children, the ones getting
their education by selling any,
thing saleable to the foreign
soldiers and sailors. They do not
have any time for play. They
live from hand to mouth and an
idle hand is an empty one. They
are sharp and shrewd beyond
their years and what they will
be tomorrow is a good question
There are other people. The
bearded old gentlemen who