Three-Star Corps Commander’s Surprise Gesture Stuns All at Promotion Ceremony

A heartwarming scene was captured at a military promotion ceremony in Gangwon Province, South Korea.

The story was posted on the Facebook page ‘Delivering Army Training Center News on Your Behalf’ (Yukdaejun) on April 4.

The person who shared the story said, “I recently attended my son’s promotion ceremony with my wife. It was the first time in 20 years of his military service since he first became a sergeant that I had been able to attend his promotion ceremony.”

According to the storyteller, there were a total of eight people who were promoted, including lieutenant colonels, majors, and warrant officers.

He recalled, “Just when the solemn atmosphere was about to set in, someone entered the room before the event started. It was the division commander. I was frozen at the sight of the three-star general I was seeing for the first time. But the division commander told us to relax and practice and treated the soldiers and families who came to congratulate us comfortably.”

The storyteller added, “When the division commander asked us where we came from, we said we came from Gimhae. He then casually said, ‘You’ve come a long way.’ I had imagined a tense and formal atmosphere, but my wife kept saying, ‘The division commander is cool.'”

The promotion ceremony officially began, and the storyteller recalled, “The division commander read the appointment letter aloud without a microphone, pinned the promotion logo on the left shoulder, and asked the spouse to pin it on the right. He also suggested that the bouquet be given to the spouse as a confession of love, saying, ‘You’ve worked hard.’ It was so nice that he took care of each person individually.”

In the midst of this, a rare, heartwarming scene unfolded. The storyteller said, “Everyone in the hall saw a scene that they couldn’t even imagine. Someone was promoted to major, but unfortunately, none of his family members could attend. While everyone else had guests to congratulate them, the division commander pinned the promotion logo on his left shoulder, and someone from his unit pinned it on the right. There was no one to receive or give congratulatory flowers. Hence, the division commander personally came out with flowers, knelt in front of the newly promoted major, and gave him a bouquet.”

He continued, “Everyone was surprised and sent applause and cheers like thunder. It was heartwarming. The families and soldiers there were all surprised, and my wife kept talking about that scene even after we got home. Although it was a long round trip, it was a good memory for our family as our son was promoted to the final rank of warrant officer. Thank you for always being healthy and for your robust defense.”