[REVIEW] 'The Tree at Panmunjom' vividly revisits 1976 tensions
In the summer of 1976, a soldier fresh out of basic training named Bill Davis arrives in Korea and finds himself assigned to Camp Kitty Hawk just before serving a tense 24-hour shift at the nearby Demilitarized Zone’s (DMZ) Joint Security Area (JSA). Given the opportunity to ask questions, the one he poses is, “How long before this starts feeling normal?” The reply, “I’ll let you know when it…
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In 1976, young Bill Davis, a newly minted soldier, found himself stationed at Camp Kitty Hawk, just beyond the tense boundaries of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Korea. As he prepared for a 24-hour stint at the Joint Security Area (JSA), he couldn't help but wonder, "How long before this all feels normal?" His fellow soldiers chuckled at his inquiry, knowing only too well that normalcy was an unlikely companion in their line of work.
The seasoned soldiers simply answered, "You get used to the routine, but normal's not part of the package."
The novel, The Tree at Panmunjom, penned by Korea Times columnist Jeffrey Miller, brings to life the harrowing events of fifty years ago that ultimately led to Camp Kitty Hawk being renamed Camp Bonifas. On August 18, 1976, an operation to prune a tree within the JSA turned tragic when two American officers, Captain Arthur Bonifas and First Lieutenant Mark Barrett, were brutally murdered by North Korean forces.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- [REVIEW] 'The Tree at Panmunjom' vividly revisits 1976 tensions koreatimes.co.kr
