PAINTING PRESENTED TO ME
BY TERRY LEWIS
The Imjin Scout painting is a work of art. It is 21 inches wide by 25 inches tall framed in a rustic pine wood with an inlaid piece of concertina wire commonly found on the barrier fence which runs along the DMZ. There is a gold engraved piece under the painting inscribed with "www.imjinscout.com." The painting is a real gem! Below is the letter that accompanied the Imjin Scout painting from Terry Lewis and my response:
Don,
I hope you will accept and enjoy this small token of my appreciation for
www.imjinscout.com. It has truly been a blessing to me. For years there wasn't
anyone to talk to or tell about Korea and the DMZ. It was as if I had served in a place nobody
had ever heard of It has been great to read and see other veterans stories and pictures.
It has really brought back a lot of fond memories. It has in many ways filled a void that
I had for a long time. Thanks again for a wonderful site, and all the hard work it takes to
maintain it. It is deeply appreciated. Feel free to write anytime as I will stay in touch regularly.
KEEP UP THE FIRE
Terry L. Lewis (Korea 69-70)
IMJIN SCOUT
December 11, 2004
Dear Terry and Imjin Scouts,
When I first began www.imjinscout.com, I underestimated the interest that there would be in the site. After all, it had been more that 30 years since we had walked the line in the Frozen Chosun. We had all gone on to new lives and the memories of those days so long ago were dim, almost surrealistic. Furthermore, our trials and tribulations were not easily understood by anyone who hadn't walked the walk with us. I can't tell you how many times I tried to tell my Imjin Scout story to a friend or family member and very shortly realized that they just weren't getting it. www.imjinscout.com has provided us all a place to share our memorabilia and most important, provided a place to connect with the few other people in the world who really understand what we did there and what it means to us. The most gratifying part of the site for me is the feedback I get from the readers expressing their thanks for the work that I have done on the site. I can't tell you how much that means to me because I too felt a bit cheated a few years ago when I would surf the web and find almost nothing that chronicled our time in Korea.
Yesterday, I came home to find a big package sitting in my kitchen. It was one of the very special surprises that occasionally show up in my mailbox. It is a beautiful framed painting of an Imjin Scout patch that was sent to me by Terry Lewis. Terry already made a wonderful contribution of photographs to the site. I can't you how much this means to me. I will hang it proudly and I am sure it will be a conversation piece for years to come and allow me to brag even more often about the work we did in Korea. This month the last of the Americans will depart from the DMZ so this is a very special time for us. Terry, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.