memory

In 1996, when I traveled from Korea to Alaska, I had the chance to meet Dick Proenneke. He was sitting in a chair in front of his cabin, carving wood with a knife, and he welcomed us with such warmth. Our guide told us that Dick was a very famous man, but at the time we knew nothing about him. All we saw was this incredibly tough-looking guy… who also had a surprisingly gentle smile. It was charming.

Anyway, he asked us about the Korean War and whether Korea had recovered a lot since then. My father is also a war veteran, so the two of them ended up having a serious conversation about the military.

I recently came across him on YouTube by chance, and I was so excited that I decided to write this. He really was a legend…!!

For those who met him personally—what was he like as a person?