I was stationed in Korea in 83 to 84 I was with the 2nd Infantry Division, in 1982 A PFC. Joe White defected to North Korea, I never met him but I met people who knew him. There were four other defectors from the 1960's already over there.

Crossing the line is a BBC documentary about the 1st four men who went over. it mainly interview the one man left there Joe Dresnok, it also has some interviews with Robert Jenkins who returned in 2004. The other two Parrish and Abshire are dead.

Even back in 82 when I first heard of Joe White i couldn't understand what would motivate a man to forsake his country. from what i could glean from the documentary the 4 from the 1960's were high school non grads and some were given the choice of the Army or jail and continued their disciplinary isues in the military. I had heard the same thing about White. he died in North Kore in 1985 from either drowning or some sort of siezure.

Jenkins received 30 days in prison and a general discharge, Dresnok is in ill health if he is still alive.

Of all the time I served in the military there were some things i didn't enjoy, but for the most part I enjoyed and learned a lot. I dreaded going to Korea but after awhile I enjoyed that too. I don't believe anything the Army did could make me turn my back on my country as these men did.

I watched the DVD and it is well made it is narrated by Christian Slater and is in english.

they mention a North korean mini series The Nameless Heros and I remember seeing it on TV while I was over there other than AFKN televison was limited and the the north sent that out over the airways never realising that the actors who played the Americans were the defectors. Watching it you couldn't but help laugh at the heavy handed clumsy propaganda of the North.

Just like the lealets they dropped in the DMZ promising any defectors two women and a car they did make good tiolet paper and souveniers.

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Stan

I was a member of the 2ID also. 1/503rd Infantry stationed at Camp Casey from October 1992-93 and again from April 1995-June 1996.

I didn't even like being on the south side of the DMZ - can't fathom what would make one defect to the North.

Thanks for the tip on this documentary and thanks for your service too.

Thanks for yours too, I was in 1/38 Bco The Bushwhackers at Camp Hovey

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Stan

i was stationed at camp howze 1st cav division 1962-1963 assigned to the division general body guard mp plt and i didnt like when we had to escort the general up to the DMZ. i seen the tv show and why any one would defect is beyond me.

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DEDUKE

Thaought I would put a little bit of the DVD on here is the 60 minutes story

YouTube - An American In North Korea1

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Stan

Here are some real 2ID soldiers

YouTube - US army More than its seems,directed to the 2nd infantry division usa army 2009 iraq


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mojQSO2QAPI

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Stan

There are a few "whack jobs" in any bunch. In WWII the Germans managed to recruit 50 or so UK PoWs for the "British Free Corps" under the aegis of the Waffen SS. One member was John Amery, son of Conservative MP Leo Amery, a staunch opponent of appeasement. Thousand of Norwegians, Danes, Walloons, Flemings, Dutchmen volunteered for the Waffen SS. (OK, the Walloons initially had to be content with serving in the Wehrmacht.) Of the original 800 Walloons who volunteered in 1941, only Rexist leader Leon Degrelle and 2 other survived the war.