My name is Don Gordon BELL and I am one of the earliest of the first generation of KAD's (Korean ADoptees). The Korean War had been settled by Armistice three years before I left war-torn Seoul, Korea, on May 21, 1956. It was the first plane of twelve 'war babies' processed thru the Harry Holt Adoption Program. Read more of MY STORY on My Pages. I grew up in a typical middle-class family of English-Scottish roots in greater Los Angeles, Ca, USA. Memories faded, Korean language was 'lost' and I did not know anything about the country of my birth until I met Korean Marines in Vietnam while serving with the US Marines. It was my first exposure to real Korean people. I was not completely aware of how prejudiced most Koreans thought towards a Half-Breed like me. I learned what "Tuigi" meant, a Korean word for a "Child of a Foreign devil". Oh, wonderful.
All my life I always had to answer the question: "What ARE you?" and I simply would tell 'my story'. It was not a big deal for me, for my Adoptive Parents had taught me that being an American meant that WE were from many countries. I never 'wished to be White' and just learned to stand up for my own identity. MY Identity was as an American, with mixed heritage. I did not know what being "Korean" meant but often wondered about my roots, and what my birth father's ethnicity. Mexican, Native Americans, and Spanish people would tell me that I had their 'genes' for sure. Little did I know they were right!
After college, I traveled to Manila and for ten years I lived in the Philippines. I was excepted as a 'mestizo' and fit into the former Spanish colony. I was a B-movie Character Actor, working on international and local films, enjoying a 'crazy and wild' abandonment. Then a life changing experience gave me faith in a personal Higher Being. After walking away from the film business, I lived back in the USA, not sure of my direction in life finding work in construction, finish carpentry, door hanging, and many other jobs I'd like to forget.
In 1991, at 38, I attended a Holt Heritage Camp that was a great experience and really began my own journey of Adoption Identity search. I had never thought much of my Korean culture, though I always felt proud of being "HALF-Korean" and "half-Something". In 1994 I came back to Seoul, Korea, with my church Vineyard Christian Fellowship, and was invited to stay with a church in East Seoul, for one year. I have lived here since late 1995- re-discovering my "Korean-ness", teaching English and telling my Adoption Story to thousands of Korean students of all ages, helping their understanding of Korean Adoptees. It is one of the issues that Korea is now facing, even for its own secretly adopted children, those who were adopted IN-Country by Koreans who desired a family but due to problems with Infertility secretly adopt.
I was a charter member in 1997 (first dozen members) of GOA'L (Global Overseas Adoptees' Link, founded by Ami Nafzger) and continue to be involved with the complex issues of This Thing of Ours-Adoption. Thousands of KADs have visited Korea over the years, searching for their culture and Some search for birth family. Seventy-five thousand have come, yet only 2,400 plus have found Reunion with Birth family, often with varying results. There are many complexities, many don't want to search concerned about offending their Adoptive Families. Each KAD must decide what they want to do, when to do it, etc.
At 67, I am still 'working thru' my Adoption Identity. Each of YOU need to 'work through' your own understanding and hopefully find forgiveness and healing. Read many different accounts and compare before coming to conclusions. I hope that you will learn what IS happening NOW, in the land of your birth, the Rep. of Korea (South Korea). (See Report Links).
Times are changing, the reasons for 'relinquishment/given up for adoption' have shifted, but there continues to be a need for a multi-tiered approach and understanding of Adoption issues. Slowly, attitudes of Korean society ARE changing for the better. But, the majority continue to feel embarrassment and shame. Thus, Adoption is still shrouded in secrecy even for those who are adopted In-country . There ARE positive signs and movements of NGO's and KAD groups are advocating for the Unwed Mothers. However, two-thirds of pregnant women each year, continue to give up their babies for adoption. One out of four are sent overseas, YET three are secretly adopted in-country. The Myth that "Koreans don't adopt" is false, but they need to open up and hopefully change their shame to pride.
This blog is for EVERYONE, whether you are an Adoptee, Adoptive Family, Birth Family or involved in Adoption in ANY way as a professional, social worker, official, etc, from Korea or the world. We examine the complex issues and personal journeys that we, domestic and overseas adoptees, have to face and sort out in This Thing of Ours-Adoption. (Use the Search function to check for Posts on various topics, TransRacial, Tran-Cultural, Multi-Cultural families, Domestic, Civil Code Law Adoptions, InterCountry Adoption, etc.)
I personally have come to a compromised, nuanced position on this thing of ours-adoption. I advocate a Multi-tiered Plan that tries to be balanced, realistic, fair to all.
UPDATE: Living in the Philippines since 2010, at first teaching students from several countries as an Online Tutor, based in Makati, Metro Manila. I was working on a Digital Library for Online Tutoring or ELearning; developing an agritourism farm; and Overseas Retirement Care for foreigners needing 24/7 health care.
Then some 18 months ago, in July of 2012 I met with Andrew Leavold, a crazy film obsessed Aussie who helped "pull me back into film making".
WHEW! Lot on my plate. I have also been learning much about the Filipino society's very different viewpoints on unwed motherhood and adoption.
As of Sept. 2012, I worked on an Indie Film, "Baybayin, the Palawan Script", directed by Auraeus Solito, and international award winning Filipino director. I had a role in the film and explored my hobby as a STILLS Photographer. Currently I have quit all teaching, co-writing on an international film that will be done in 3D and CGI effects. I am back in the film-making business and I love it. I have continued to act in Independent and international films and in many projects worked as Stills/Bts Photographer. I cover film festivals, events, and continue to try to improve my Game. Semi-retired but love to keep active, now exploring mirrorless 4K cameras but still a Canon Guy.
Adoption Discourse needs to hear YOUR VOICES. Every opinion, even opposing viewpoints will be posted and interaction invited by email and Comments have been activated again with spam filters!). Welcome, come learn, and share your thoughts. Join social media sites and you will help yourself and others as you share your life.
#20 Holt Adoptee/First Dozen on Flight departing Seoul on 21 May, 1956 to USA.
Numbers- In our lives we are bombarded with numbers from everywhere. Here are some numbers the KWB was thinking about the other day:
Each Day in Korea:
4,000
Aborted Daily
7
Born Alive But Given up
1
Estimated Kept by Unwed Mothers
3.6
Domestic Adoptee (95% Secretly done)
3.4
InterCountry Adoptee
Hmmm, what do the numbers mean? Well, according to many sources (See abortion label on left column of blog) there are 4,000 ABORTIONS every DAY. The Korean government figures “Only” the number 1,000 per day. At this conservative number of 1,000 times 365 = 365,000 per year. At the number of 4,000 times 365 = 1,460,000 per year. Seven (7) are the number of babies Born Alive each day in 2008 (2,550) and given up for adoption both in country (Domestic) and InterCountry Adoptions (ICA). One might say they are lucky to be born alive. Of the 7, Domestic (95 % are now secretly done) the number is 3.6 that are adopted to Korean families. This the ‘dirty little secret’ that does not often stay secret too long. Many find out as Late Discovery Adoptees (Ron Morgan's website) Of the 7, who after five months are not adopted by their own ‘countrymen’ the ethnic Koreans, they are then available for Trans-Racial, Trans-Cultural, “overseas/Inter-Country” adoptions. One may go to Europe, two will go to USA. LUCK? CHANCE? Yes, life is a Crap Shoot. These are the numbers that we, who are adopted, must face in our Journey of self-discovery and understanding of This Thing of Ours-Adoption. The Korean War Baby highly recommend that you read carefully this: Beyond Culture Camp by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute. It is worth the reading and you may download the PDF for free. Next posting will be a short summary from the website. This is also relavant: ROLE OF RACE & LAW This Thing of Ours-Adoption is complex! We need to read, compare, absorb, analyze ourselves, study, etc. to grow and find balance. If you are reading this you are maybe questioning and seeking truth, wondering perhaps about your own views on your very existence. THIS IS GOOD, seek the answers, stay open and balanced.
On the flight from Okinawa to Danang, South Vietnam (as it was called in 1970) the KWB sat next to a ‘salty old Marine Sergeant’ who was about 22 going on 40 years old. I had met him during the week at Camp Smedley D. Butler, actually a number of bases collectively known after the legendary Marine who once said his unit was "prepared to land and shoot everybody and everything that was breaking the peace".
US Marine Corps Bases on Okinawa
Camp Smedley D. Butler actually consists of several camps.
We were going through processing at CampHansen when I learned that this Marine was coming back to the ‘Nam after two tours. I began to ask him questions about what to do and how to do it since he had been there twice and lived. He saw that I really wanted the straight scoop and slowly he began to tell me some things to watch out for in-country. Personal stuff also came out. He had been discharged from the Corps, never talked about anything to anyone, finally his wife divorced him. He had nothing else to do, so he re-enlisted and volunteer for a third tour.
The Sergeant was a man of few words, but I listened intently because when he spoke, I could see many memories flash through his mind. “Don’t trust any of them”; “Put one through the head, just to be sure…”-said with no anger or malice, just simple facts to remember from a voice of experience. He was going back for a third tour and some might think him crazy but I was praying that I would have someone like him watching over my ignorant butt.
This was no ‘by the book’ crap, he gave me short clipped words of advice that had the ‘thousand yard stare’ built-in. “Get a fuckin’ Colt .45 ‘auto’…steal one if you have to” seemed like solid gold to me.
Death Spiral into Danang Vital Area.
The Boeing flight was only an hour’s flight time, late at night for safety, and drinks were flowing. The Stewardesses (okay to call them that back then) were very, very kind to all. Over 150 men and a few nurses were about to descend in a gut wrenching steep spiral towards Danang Airbase, northern I Corps.
I was sitting way in the back when the doors opened and the humid hot blast of air swept into the fuselage like a sauna. When the heat hit us the thought struck me, “What?! It’s 1 AM!! How can it be so Hot?” Slowly the line moved forward, each man or woman with their own thoughts. A nervous calm settled on me, for I was facing a great unknown, entering the war zone of I Corps, the northern most of four military divisions of South Vietnam. I thought I was prepared to meet my adventure and naively was not afraid. I was on a mission, to help the Vietnamese people stay free!
I noticed that all the stewardesses were wishing everyone good luck but one ‘stew’ really stood out. She was rather short but very cute, Blond ‘cheerleader type’ All-American Girl, (and forgive me, well endowed). She was hugging each man really close, tight, and long… bringing a smile to most. She gave some a good ole friendly kiss on the cheek, said a quick “Good luck” or “See you on the way back”. She really meant it too!
My turn was up next, but before she could hug me, I jokingly asked with a silly grin, “Is it really THAT bad?” She looked at my innocent and ignorant young face then grabbed me in a tight bear hug and burst into tears, her chest shuddering and heaving in uncontrollable sobs. She continued to hold me in a strong grip, as complaints were voiced as men had to move around us.
“What did you do?” “Hell, what did you say to her?” “Hogging it all for himself”. At first I could not understand her, then 'My God, she was acting like I was her own brother!'
Then it hit me, like a bolt of lightning, a sudden understanding. Some terrible ‘knowing’ filled her soul, rent her spirit apart. I felt her terror, her fear and dread...FOR ME.
My knees buckled and a queasy feeling hit my stomach. I thought to myself, what have I DONE? I volunteered for this? She looked up at me, tears flowing down her face, still clinging to me. Finally, she composed herself and held my face with both her hands. It seemed that she was memorizing me, then wiping her own face she bravely smiled and told me very, very seriously, “You Come BACK, okay!”. I mumbled something and stumbled on, my mind confused and reeling.
At the bottom of the ramp the Sergeant caught up with me and spun me around towards the right. Men were unloading our seabags from the plane onto trams. The Sergeant simply pointed beyond towards a second tram coming to a stop. Aluminum coffins were stacked four to a car, waiting for the long journey back to Conus (Continental U.S.). Along with returning troops heading back from the war, these coffins would be on her return flight. Now I understood, and my foreboding increased. The Sergeant smiled, “Welcome to Viiieet…Nam, Marine.”
"This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless.
I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than the enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. My rifle and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit.
My rifle is human, even as I am human, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other.
Before God I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy.
We are the saviors of my life.
So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy."
“Get Up Off Yer Ass, Private Bell!!!”
Platoon 3084 was marching at ‘quick step’ up the hills of CampPendleton, towards EdsonRange. My former 'Recon Marine' Drill Instructor SSgt. Moyer was passing by with his slightly evil grin that made most of my fellow recruits be on total guard. SSgt. Moyer was of the ‘old Corps,’ who thought it best to inspire us ‘wannabe’ Marines with his boots, fists, rifle butt, clipboard, or whatever was handy at the moment. He was most adept at using a ‘finger in the pit of the throat’, and various other Oriental techniques striking pressure points with lightning speed and painful but only temporary paralyzing effects.
SSgt. Moyer looked up at the ‘slight hill’ ahead and growled out, “PlaaaaTooooon…Double Time….MARCH”. We all knew that the most sadistic of our D.I. always looked for a chance to run, not walk. On the command ‘March!’ we broke into a run, jostling and bumping into the recruit in front and behind until we got strung out. As one of the shorter recruits in 1st squad, I was one of the last.
The recruit behind me elbowed me aside roughly unexpectedly and sent me rolling down a small gully. I clutched my M-14 rifle to my chest and tumbled head over heels. Somehow I ended up on my back, my pack wedged tightly in the crook of a very small tree. I struggled to get up but was unable move. I looked up and saw my Platoon Commander SSgt. McAllister passing by on the road, several yards up.
I shouted as loud as I could, “Sir, Private Bell, requests permission to speak to the Platoon Commander…Sir!!” Well, you can imagine the surprised look on his face to hear a voice calling from below the dirt road. He stood looking down curiously, recognized me then a look of puzzlement crossed his face. “Private Bell…what the hell are you doing down there?”
“Sir, The Private is stuck,” I shouted back, my legs and arms flailing about like a tortoise on its back. SSgt. McAllister made his way down to me and analyzed my situation. “Stop moving Private...How did you get in this here predicament?” Before I could answer he grabbed the shoulder straps of my backpack and jerked me free. I landed on my back and lay there panting to catch my breath still clutching my rifle.
“Is your rifle okay, Private?” Grabbing my M-14 he examined it to see if my front or rear sights were damaged. “Yes, Sir. Platoon Commander. I…the Private’s weapon is okay. Sir.” Satisfied that it was okay, he then looked down, surprised to see me still laying on my back. Scowling, he barked at me:
“Well…Get up off yer ass, Private Bell! You DO want to qualify today, don’t you?” The Platoon Commander was having trouble to keep a straight face and not break out laughing. I took back my “United States Rifle, caliber 7.62 mm, M-14”, and clamored up the ravine and ran like hell to catch up with my platoon. I did qualify that day, earning the Sharpshooter badge and just one point from Expert Rifleman. I liked the ‘Iron Cross’ of a Sharpshooter better anyway.
The Platoon Commander made a point of calling me out, in front of the platoon, informing them that ‘little Private Bell’ had qualified as a Sharpshooter. From then on, he would call me out as “Private ‘Sharpshooter’ BELL” and I felt extremely proud. We all knew that ‘almost every swinging d#*k’ of our series were going to the ‘Nam. About 90% of us wound up there, the last series consisting of four platoons to go as a group.
A Marine must be first of all a Rifleman and in our platoon almost everyone qualified as Marksman, Sharpshooter, or Expert Rifleman. It is one of our creeds that every Marine is able to rely on his fellow Marine to shoot any weapon in our arsenal or the enemy’s. The United States Marines are one of the elite fighting forces of the world, because “every Marine a Rifleman” is more than a simple motto it is a fact.
By Josh Broward
Traditionally homogeneous, Korea is now rapidly plunging into multiculturalism. Korea's 1.1 million resident foreigners total 2 percent of the population, but everyone agrees that Korea is bound to get more immigrants.
Conservative estimates are that foreigners will make up 5 percent of the Korean population by 2020, 8 percent by 2030, and 10 percent by 2050. Korea at Tipping Point of Multicultural Society One in seven marriages in Korea is multicultural. In some rural provinces, that ratio is as high as one in three.
These trends are likely to increase in pace and magnitude. Korea may diversify even faster than the experts are predicting. “The National Assembly is debating its first ever ``antiracism'' bill.” Korean man fined for insulting Indian Professor “Conflict over interracial couples recently surged through the news. With increasing immigration, multicultural coupling is bound to increase.
Some people are calling Korea's changing demographics a ``time bomb.'' Some cultural analysts expect a variety of explosive conflicts centered on themes of ethnicity and cultural change.” In his international bestselling book, ``The Tipping Point,'' Malcom Gladwell examines how small changes cause major cultural shifts.
Gladwell explains, ``What happened is that [a] small number of people … started behaving very differently, and that behavior somehow spread … Little changes had big effects. The Korean War Baby concurs on this writers observations and suggestions. Read the whole article, and again this is a trend by the government to address many issues of globalization, human rights, society’s prejudices and insensitivity, attitudes towards foreigners, adoptees both domestic and overseas. It will take a concerted effort by media, educators, teachers, government, etc to encourage changes in the mind and heart of the Korean people. Josh Broward has lived in Korea for five years. He is the lead pastor for KNU International English Church on the campus of Korea Nazarene University in Cheonan. Send him a message at jjbroward@gmail.com Let’s all work together to see our Motherland move forward to a Multicultural society where little changes can have big effects in a ‘healthy and beautiful multiculturalism.’
Korean pop superstar Rain in character as Raizo in Warner Brothers' 'Ninja Assassin'
"In the late 1990s a Korean wave washed over Asia. From TV soap operas and movies to pop music, the region couldn't get enough of Korean culture and its good-looking stars. But the wave never quite reached the American entertainment industry. At most, Hollywood embraced the remake of several Korean films—including The Lake Houseand, more recently, The Uninvited.
Lately, however, ethnic Korean actors have started to gain traction in American film and TV. Kim Yunjin and Daniel Dae Kim broke through when they were cast in Lostin 2004, followed by Sandra Oh in Grey’s Anatomyand James Kyson Lee in Heroes.
This year Korean-American heartthrob Daniel Henney appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverineas the villainous Agent Zero, and now stars on the new CBS medical drama Three Rivers.
Daniel did a fantastic job with many very emotional heavy dramatic scenes. The KWB knows a bit about the film business because he was 'in the film business' as well, though, only B-movie Character actor and stuntman. Usually he was one of the bad guys, goons, thugs, not handsome like Daniel to he loved to do the crazy mad type roles.
Jeong Ji Hoon, a.k.a. Rain, a pop superstar in much of Asia but still little-known on the global stage. Rain appears in the lead role of the latest big-budget martial-arts thriller, Ninja Assassin, starring Jeong as the title character.
Asian actors in the U.S. are still often typecast as martial-arts experts. "Stereotype does still exist when casting films," says Rain. "Asians have our own broad and unique culture; it's just that more people have been interested in the martial-arts side than others." The KWB always knew that stereotypes would limit the major roles but by creating their own ‘characters’ and props, they made interesting roles. Hollywood Discovers Korea's Talented Actors | Newsweek Movies | Newsweek.com
No business like Show Business!
The KWB had many different ‘faces' and worked from 1976-1985 in Filipino and international films shot on location in the Philippines and Hong Kong. He would be proud to have Daniel Henney, whose mother was a also a Korean adoptee in 1958, play him in a biographic film about the Korean War Baby (In the KWB dreams). Makeup, facial hair, various hairstyles would make him perfect for the many faces of the KWB.Don Gordon Bell
Of course the KWB was only a B-movie character actor in action, war drama, comedy, and some say that some of these low budget flicks were 'so bad they were good.' His friends continue on to this day, 'In the business'. Andrew Leavold Blog address has immortalized us for cyberhistory. Andrew has painstakingly put together commentary on bamboo gods and bionic boys It was a great time and many of his friends stayed on in the Philippines with impressive film credits. Such as Nick Nicholson and Nick's blog on his incredible but true to life tales of our escapades, Henry Strzalkowski who just directed a music video last month, Romano Kristoff, Steve Rogers who now runs a business in Sagada for white water rafting and trekking, Bill Kipp who coined the phrase "Pigs in Space", James Gaines, Mike Monty, Bruce Baron, and so many more. Yes, our Cadre helped teach and prepare men and women from all over the globe to work in Filipino and International films.
The Korean War Baby is very happy with these developments. It is his hope that Daniel Henney might play HIM in a future film about the KWB. A comedy about the life of character actors making films in the Philippines. The stories we could tell need to be told!
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