Yechon Air Base, REPUBLIC OF KOREA -- Deployments aren’t all about hard work. They’re also about taking the time to have some fun and learn about different cultures.
Marines and sailors participating in Exercise Foal Eagle 2010 did exactly that by participating in a community relations trip to the Yechon Elementary School March 31.
As soon as the Marines and sailors walked through the school entrance, although some children shied away, the majority of the children swarmed around them. This wasn’t the first time the Marines and sailors had visited, so they knew exactly what to expect.
It took several moments to get the children to calm down, but as soon as they did, they began to recite the alphabet, which was written in English on the chalkboard. That alphabet was then used to play a game of hangman.
“I was really surprised they knew how to play (hangman),” said HN Ronald Givens, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 pharmacy technician. “It’s nice to see we have some similarities and their culture isn’t so different after all.”
If a child guessed a correct letter, they received a piece of Starburst candy. That seemed to motivate them because the children forgot all about raising their hands and started screaming out letters.
After playing a couple rounds of hangman, the chairs were moved into a circle for a game of musical chairs. Lance Cpl. Victor Contreras, a Foal Eagle participant with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, sat in the middle playing guitar while Lt. Anthony Baker, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 chaplain, played an acoustic drum.
Whenever a child got out, they were invited into the center to dance around while the other children finished the game.
It came down to two competitors, Givens and a small Korean boy. Givens was so busy laughing at the other children dancing around that he was unable to hear the music stop. The Korean boy slid right under him and into the chair. All the children ran up to high-five the final two, cheering and chanting the winner’s name.
“It was a lot of fun, and I think the children really enjoy interacting with (U.S. service members),” said Givens. “It’s a very rare opportunity to get to go to a school in a foreign country and spend time with the students. What better way to experience the culture than first hand?”