The Line That Divides A Nation - The Home Of Freedom...

From the eerie silence on the MDL, we headed back into the Home of Freedom, to visit the museum on the second floor, and the souvenir shop on the first floor.

This exhibit described the Axe Murder Incident of August 18, 1976...

On that day, officers of the United States Army led a Korean party to cut down a poplar tree within the JSA that was blocking the view of United Nations observers. As the work began, 15 North Korean soldiers led by a confrontationist Senior Lieutenant Pak Chul (who was nicknamed "Lieutenant Bulldog") appeared on the site told the Americans to cease work "because Kim Il Sung personally planted it and nourished it and it's growing under his supervision". The American Captain Bonifas ignored the North Koreans and turned his back on Pak Chul. 

Pak Chul sought reinforcements and after a North Korean truck with 20 soldiers arrived, he again warned the Americans to cease work. Bonifas again turned his back on Pak, who then removed his watch, carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief, placed it in his pocket and instructed his men "Kill the bastards". 

The North Koreans used axes dropped by the workmen and attacked Bonifas and his colleague Lieutenant Barrett. Bonifas was hacked to death by five North Koreans, while Barrett, who had sustained injuries escaped, only to die a day later.

The next day, with a show of force, the Americans, led by Paul Bunyon, cut down the poplar...

A depiction of the incident...

The entry point into the JSA is now named after the martyr - it's called Camp Bonifas...

A certificate to honour Paul Bunyon who got the poplar cut the next day...

Press clippings on the incident...

A display on the repatriation of POWs of the Korean War - this was an effort that was spearheaded by the Indian Army...

Provocations on this frontier are constant, that wouldn't surprise Indians... 

A display on another provocation by the North Koreans - the Major Henderson Incident...

An old rusty helmet found on the DMZ...

A signpost from the MDL...

The hats of Bonifas and Barrett...

North Korean caps which were retrieved after an incident in 1984. On November 23, 1984, during a tour led by the North Koreans, a Soviet journalist Vasily Matusak suddenly dashed across the MDL into South Korea. The Soviet national was chased by North Korean forces, to be repulsed by the United Nations Command...

The Soviet national was resettled in the United States...

A Korean soldier, Corporal Jang, was martyred during the incident that followed the defection of Vasily Matusak...

North Korean People's Army Senior Captain Byun surrendered here on February 3, 1998...

Incidents on the JSA...

A plan of the MDL...

National symbols...

Honouring the nations who assisted South Korea during the war...

The Indian flag on display, as we head back!

INS Sahayadri Comes Calling...

A few days back, the Indian Embassy emailed us informing that an Indian Navy frigate, INS Sahayadri, would be visiting the Port of Incheon and invited us, the Indian diaspora in Korea to visit the ship, while it's in town.

Neeti and I enthusiastically registered to visit the warship. And after returning from Seoul, we headed to the Port of Incheon. At the entrance to the port, we were greeted by an Indian Navy sailor, who guided us to the ship.

And as we approached the warship, we saw the Indian tiranga (tricolour) fluttering in the cool breeze, and our chests swelled with pride! It was indeed a proud moment to meet the defenders of our maritime frontiers flying India's flag in a foreign land!

INS Sahayadri was returning from Japan's Sagami Bay after participating in Japan's International Fleet Review - a naval exercise involving 50 vessels and 61 aircraft from South Korea, Australia, France and the United States, besides India.

The smart naval officers greeted us and ushered us in...

INS Sahyadri, a Shivalik class stealth multi-role frigate was built for the Indian Navy at the Mazagon Docks in Mumbai. Construction of the Sahayadri began in 2003 and was completed by 2011. The vessel underwent sea trials and was commissioned on July 21, 2012 into the Eastern Naval Command based out of Visakhapatnam, on the eastern coast. The INS Sahyadri is equipped with stealth features, an array of Indian, Russian, Israeli weapon systems, including the joint Indo-Russian BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missiles and the Israeli Barak surface to air missiles. The ship also carries two helicopters. (Information source: Wikipedia)

The mast of the ship...

INS Sahayadri's badge...

The radar and missile systems...

The main gun...

The sailors told us off the record that they feel that under Prime Minister Modi, defence preparedness had undoubtedly improved multiplefold (without getting into details). On the softer side, they felt that the respect for India as a world-power had grown under the new government had grown, which they claimed was visible when they visited Hawaii last year and Vietnam and Japan on this trip - a clear example of India's growing soft-power. 

We gathered that from here INS Sahayadri would be headed to the Philippines on a goodwill visit before headed back to Visakhapatnam. 

The tiranga at the bow...

The ceremonial bell...

The duty list...

Scenes from INS Sahayadri's operational deployments...

Getting ready to exit the ship. At this point we were offered some Frooti and Parle biscuits by the officers! It was great to sample Indian brands on foreign soil!

The naval ensign...

Bridges of Friendship Across the Oceans...

The flags of India and Korea...

And we said goodbye to the INS Sahayadri...