One of my favorite acquaintances from my days in school was a much older student from South Korea who often told stories of his time in mandatory military duty

One of my favorite acquaintances from my days in school was a much older student from South Korea who often told stories of his time in mandatory military duty patrolling the DMZ, including a harrowing story of nearly setting off an international incident because he mistook a wild pig for a North Korean soldier and set off a grenade. Definitely a series of experiences completely outside my context. I found it was important to hear about his experiences, and age difference obviously plays a part in facilitating this. Another South Korean classmate turned 18 in school and got shipped back to the DMZ. He didn't get hurt or anything, but I don't think he ever made it back to school in the states, which is a shame.