thedrifter
12-20-03, 07:32 AM
A tradition of discipline - Son draws inspiration from father, keeps faith in self-discipline, culture
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification Number: 20031219163738
Story by Sgt. L. F. Langston and Cpl. Ethan E. Rocke
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(December 19, 2003) -- He was punched, kicked and at one point made to drink his own urine. As Kyunghwa Jeng earned his rites of passage as a Republic Of Korea Marine in 1976, he endured much hardship and strife, but his strength and discipline would prevail in the end.
Since Jeng's days as a ROK Marine, he has passed his sense of discipline to his son PFC Jae H. Jeng, guide, Platoon 1034, Company C, who today earns the title U.S. Marine thanks, in part, to the inspiration he draws from his father's achievements.
"I was influenced heavily by my father," Jeng said. "Almost every day he talked about being a ROK Marine, and he would attribute everything he did to the training he received."
Jeng was introduced to the importance of discipline as a young child at four years old while living in San Paol, Brazil. That was when he began studying the martial art of Tae Kwon Do. By age 9, he had earned his black belt.
"It was easy reaching black belt," said Jeng. "I was on a performance team in Brazil representing Korean Tae Kwon Do for three years until I was seven."
Traveling throughout Brazil, performing and attaining the black belt enabled him to teach others until age 13.
Jeng's Tae Kwon Do experience gave him an advantage when it came time to learn Marine Corps Martial Arts.
"The first level of moves are similar, so it was very easy to learn," said Jeng.
The discipline and training Jeng received at a young age continued when he chose to play soccer.
"Soccer was harder training than boot camp and even the Crucible," said Jeng.
Soccer skills came at a high price while playing for his high school soccer team in Korea.
"If we would lose or move slow, they would discipline us. Whenever we wouldn't follow orders we would get hit with a big stick."
The techniques used to discipline Jeng and his teammates varied from corporal punishment to humiliating practices, which Jeng said he now sees as necessary to an extent in order to build discipline and obedience.
"We would get hit, sometimes run for three hours in the rain and not be allowed to stop unless we passed out."
His family's tradition of structure and discipline has set Jeng's standards high and given him a unique perception of his fellow recruits.
"In some ways I think they (recruits) need to be more disciplined," Jeng said. "Tae Kwon Do and soccer instilled a lot of discipline in me and therefore I have high standards. A lot of my fellow recruits had to learn discipline for the first time here in recruit training."
Experiencing a rigid schedule and interacting with groups at a young age, living in close quarters with others and eating fast at times is nothing new, according to Jeng.
"I thought boot camp would be more difficult," he said.
Although he says adapting to the challenges of recruit training was not as difficult as he expected, Jeng said the lessons learned here have been invaluable and often exciting.
According to Jeng, one of the biggest obstacles he encountered in recruit training was a language barrier, but he eventually overcame that and went from platoon scribe to platoon guide.
"The platoon had been through five other guides, and he approached me and asked if he could become the guide," said Staff Sgt. David S. Baldock, senior drill instructor, Platoon 1034. "I entertained the idea, and to my surprise, he did very well. He started regulating, and it didn't take long for the platoon to respond and respect him."
"When I first stepped onto those yellow footprints I felt completely lost," Jeng said. "I came here with no friends and my English was poor. Now I have American friends and I get to speak English. It's very exciting."
Today, Jeng leaves recruit training as a second generation Marine. The nation he serves may differ from his father's, but Kyunghwa and Jae Jeng are nonetheless soldiers of the sea, bound forever by blood, discipline and honor.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2003121916429/$file/CO2_lr.jpg
PFC Jae H. Jeng, guide, platoon 1034, Company C, earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do by age nine. Today, he graduates recruit training with honors. Photo by: Sgt. L. F. Langston
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/BCE522F050851F8C85256E010076CD79?opendocument
The Drifter
:marine:
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification Number: 20031219163738
Story by Sgt. L. F. Langston and Cpl. Ethan E. Rocke
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(December 19, 2003) -- He was punched, kicked and at one point made to drink his own urine. As Kyunghwa Jeng earned his rites of passage as a Republic Of Korea Marine in 1976, he endured much hardship and strife, but his strength and discipline would prevail in the end.
Since Jeng's days as a ROK Marine, he has passed his sense of discipline to his son PFC Jae H. Jeng, guide, Platoon 1034, Company C, who today earns the title U.S. Marine thanks, in part, to the inspiration he draws from his father's achievements.
"I was influenced heavily by my father," Jeng said. "Almost every day he talked about being a ROK Marine, and he would attribute everything he did to the training he received."
Jeng was introduced to the importance of discipline as a young child at four years old while living in San Paol, Brazil. That was when he began studying the martial art of Tae Kwon Do. By age 9, he had earned his black belt.
"It was easy reaching black belt," said Jeng. "I was on a performance team in Brazil representing Korean Tae Kwon Do for three years until I was seven."
Traveling throughout Brazil, performing and attaining the black belt enabled him to teach others until age 13.
Jeng's Tae Kwon Do experience gave him an advantage when it came time to learn Marine Corps Martial Arts.
"The first level of moves are similar, so it was very easy to learn," said Jeng.
The discipline and training Jeng received at a young age continued when he chose to play soccer.
"Soccer was harder training than boot camp and even the Crucible," said Jeng.
Soccer skills came at a high price while playing for his high school soccer team in Korea.
"If we would lose or move slow, they would discipline us. Whenever we wouldn't follow orders we would get hit with a big stick."
The techniques used to discipline Jeng and his teammates varied from corporal punishment to humiliating practices, which Jeng said he now sees as necessary to an extent in order to build discipline and obedience.
"We would get hit, sometimes run for three hours in the rain and not be allowed to stop unless we passed out."
His family's tradition of structure and discipline has set Jeng's standards high and given him a unique perception of his fellow recruits.
"In some ways I think they (recruits) need to be more disciplined," Jeng said. "Tae Kwon Do and soccer instilled a lot of discipline in me and therefore I have high standards. A lot of my fellow recruits had to learn discipline for the first time here in recruit training."
Experiencing a rigid schedule and interacting with groups at a young age, living in close quarters with others and eating fast at times is nothing new, according to Jeng.
"I thought boot camp would be more difficult," he said.
Although he says adapting to the challenges of recruit training was not as difficult as he expected, Jeng said the lessons learned here have been invaluable and often exciting.
According to Jeng, one of the biggest obstacles he encountered in recruit training was a language barrier, but he eventually overcame that and went from platoon scribe to platoon guide.
"The platoon had been through five other guides, and he approached me and asked if he could become the guide," said Staff Sgt. David S. Baldock, senior drill instructor, Platoon 1034. "I entertained the idea, and to my surprise, he did very well. He started regulating, and it didn't take long for the platoon to respond and respect him."
"When I first stepped onto those yellow footprints I felt completely lost," Jeng said. "I came here with no friends and my English was poor. Now I have American friends and I get to speak English. It's very exciting."
Today, Jeng leaves recruit training as a second generation Marine. The nation he serves may differ from his father's, but Kyunghwa and Jae Jeng are nonetheless soldiers of the sea, bound forever by blood, discipline and honor.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2003121916429/$file/CO2_lr.jpg
PFC Jae H. Jeng, guide, platoon 1034, Company C, earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do by age nine. Today, he graduates recruit training with honors. Photo by: Sgt. L. F. Langston
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/BCE522F050851F8C85256E010076CD79?opendocument
The Drifter
:marine: