Lost in Korea

by Hugh Foshee

Paul and Hugh

I remember landing in Kimpo Airport in September 1963. I was a green second lieutenant just out of Officer's Basic Course at Ft. Bliss, Texas. The Army was a great place to be. Here I was traveling half way around the world to discover that Koreans looked exactly like all those photos I had seen in National Geographic. My first impression was that Koreans did not seem to be happy. But I learned later that that was their public face with strangers. They are very enjoyable people to know in person.

I arrived at the HAWK battery where I was to be stationed. I met the executive officer, a guy named Paul Hensley. He seemed to be a decent sort. Not at all like the hellions I was expecting to meet. I settled in and began to learn what I was supposed to be doing.

I had several conversations with Paul who wanted to talk a lot about the Bible. I had grown up the church. My mother, my brothers and I always seemed to be there at the Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday night services. But Paul talked about the Christian life differently than anyone I had ever met who wasn't a preacher.

He invited me to go to Seoul for a weekend to visit Ron York. Ron was an intriguing fellow, an ex-Marine who didn't tell dirty jokes or drink. He talked about the Bible and about what it meant to be a Christian.
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The three of us went to a teahouse for a little more conversation. I couldn't get over this burly Marine talking about Jesus in a public place. I began to suspect that Paul had set me up. That was okay because I was enjoying myself with these rather wholesome people. Ron's first wife, Betty, was charming and it was nice to be in something homier than the Bachelor Officers' Quarters.

I enjoyed Paul's friendship and being with him. He was different than the other single officers. We talked a lot about what a Christian was. I assured him that I was a Christian, but I realized that my life didn't reflect the same kind of commitment his did nor his ability in the Scriptures. I had never met a lay person who could handle the Scriptures like he did.

Paul showed me the Bridge illustration. When he asked me what side of the bridge I was on I could not give a firm and sure answer. On the one hand, I felt "Christian" and enjoyed Paul's company much more that the others, but on the other hand I didn't have assurance. So I prayed with Paul and invited Christ into my life.
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That step sealed something in me because I have never doubted again whether or not I was a Christian. It also opened up my heart to the Word and understanding of the Christian life that seemed to be so puzzling before. I could pick up the Bible and learn how to understand the basic principles of the Christian life. Paul and I did some Bible studies together, and made more trips to Seoul which were the highlights of my time in Korea.

After six or seven months I got transferred to a Nike Hercules missile site. I missed my studies with Paul, but I did meet a local Korean pastor who came and did Sunday services for us.

Paul kept in touch with me through mail and even got through on the telephone a few times. Once Paul and Ron came to visit me. They took the train from Seoul to Osan and then caught a ride on a five-ton truck over some of the worst roads in Korea.

We had a great time together and the weekend was all too short. No one had ever cared that much about how I was making it in the Christian life. So I knew, these were really special friends.

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After his military service, Hugh Foshee earned a master's degree at Columbia Graduate School of Bible and Missions with where he met his wife, Sylvia. They served as missionaries in Trinidad and Tobago. He is now a chaplain at both a prison and a nursing home in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.