Private Travis T. King Is A Brilliant Military Strategist: His Genius Daring Escape is Proof
Part 2
Mr. Helmore’s story begins:
After passing through airport security, he unexpectedly joined a tour group to the Korean border village of Pannunjom, a popular tourist spot inside the 248 km-long (154 mile) demilitarized zone, or DMZ.
A member of the tour later told CBS News that King, who was reported to be in civilian clothes, gave “out a loud ‘ha-ha-ha’ and just runs in between some buildings.”
Pentagon officials said that UN Command security forces who had been escorting the tour group chased King, who is from Racine, Wisconsin, but could not catch him.
Adm. John Aquilino, the head of US Indo-Pacific Command, confirmed that an army private “made a run across the demilitarized zone in the Joint Security Area. He was picked up by the North Koreans,” according to NBC News.
“There’s a lot that that we’re still trying to learn, but what we do know is that one of our service members who was on a tour willfully and without authorisation crossed the military demarcation line,” Austin [U.S. Secretary of Defense] told Pentagon reporters. [I laugh at the very idea that Travis would consider that he needed U.S. military ‘authorization’ to enter North Korea.]
A US state department spokesperson said that the department “has not reached out to the North Koreans or other governments” on the matter. [Another point of humor. Why would they? The facts would only produce more embarrassment to U.S. foreign policy, or the lack thereof.]
A tourist from New Zealand who was in King’s group told the Associated Press that upon the end of their tour, their group was “sort of milling around” while being watched by both South Korean and American soldiers. The tourist said soldiers on the North Korean side seemed to be inside a building.
She then noticed a man “running what looked like full gas towards the North Korean side”. [The North Korean soldiers entered the building and showed themselves to Travis King. That’s when he made his move.]
It is not clear that King, 23, who was scheduled to return to Fort Bliss, Texas, wants to return to US soil. [Duh, no he doesn’t want to return to U.S. soil; that’s why he escaped to North Korea.]
He was released from two months’ detention on assault charges, including damaging a police car, on 10 July and could face additional military disciplinary actions and discharge from the service on his return to the US, according to the Associated Press.
A US army spokesman said King was a cavalry scout in the First Armored Division who had joined the service in January 2021, according to CNN. His service awards include the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal and the overseas Service Ribbon. [Mr. King is a soldier.]
…King’s maternal grandfather, Carl Gates, told the Associated Press. “Travis is a good guy. He wouldn’t do nothing to hurt nobody. And I can’t see him trying to hurt himself.”
King’s mother, Claudine Gates, told ABC7 she was “shocked” by the news. “I can’t see Travis doing anything like that,” Gates told the network, adding that she heard from her son several days ago and he told her that he would be returning to his base in Fort Bliss. [The use of his love for his mom, which was reciprocal, allowed him to show no sign of discontent as his time drew nigh to escape.]
King seems to be the first US soldier to defect to North Korea since 1962, when James Dresnok, who was facing court-martial for taking an unauthorized overnight leave, walked across the heavily fortified border to the North. [That border is so well fortified, that it’s been over 60 years since a successful escape. I’m sure that fact only emboldened Mr. King.]
Travis King told officials he wouldn’t ‘return to America’ nearly a year before fleeing to North Korea
The headline from the New York Post story by Matthew Sedacca was initially written and posted on July 22, 2023, at 3:07pm.
It is where the story really begins.
American soldier Travis King had shown signs of possibly defecting from the Army nearly a year before he fled into North Korean territory, telling military officials while serving in South Korea that he would not “return to post or America.”
The 23-year-old was the first soldier in decades [over 60 years] to defect to North Korea when he bolted across the border on Tuesday.
It was not the first sign of trouble for the Wisconsin native, who was facing assault allegations over a fight at a club on Sept. 25. Weeks earlier, on Sept. 4, while serving at Camp Bonifas near the southern end of the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea, King skipped out on his daily formation and took off to a nearby city, ABC News reported.
Mr. King was later found in the city of Uijeongbu, roughly 25 miles southeast of Camp Bonifas. [His first attempt to escape failed, or did it? He bought time and opportunity to contact North Koreans in Uijeongbu to finalize his plans.]
When the base managed to reach King, who served as a cavalry scout, he “refused to return to post or America,” a U.S. official told the outlet. [I now hope you are beginning to get the real picture. He matter-of-fact told them he would not go back to post or America, but their arrogance had them refuse to believe he could carry out his intentions.]
US officials said King had made a “deliberate decision” to enter North Korea, but have yet to explain how he managed to outsmart his handlers at Incheon International Airport — and make it all the way to the village of Panmunjom inside the DMZ the next day. [At least now you have a better idea of how he outsmarted his handlers.]
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