The intricate American process of choosing a president caused me to think about the life and times of heroes and politicians. Their ups and downs seem to occur rapidly and dramatically.

It was 1960.

I was a 1st lieutenant in the 8th Army in Seoul, Korea. The clinic (The Capt. Marvin Carius Dental Clinic - named for a dentist killed in the Korean War) was modern for those times. High-Speed Dentistry was making its initial appearance. We heard stories of foot-pedal driven dental machines used in the field in wartime. An organized, modern clinic was more than I expected when I was assigned to Korea.

Our commanding officer was a martinet. Colonel Arbuckle was frightened of any mistakes to be discovered under his watch. He was a poor dental practitioner with meager clinical skills and the military aspect took precedent over treatment aspects.

One day the colonel informed us that Syngman Rhee, the then president of South Korea, was coming to our clinic for treatment. Arbuckle went berserk.

We cleaned and polished and kept out of his sight because he went "completely bonkers."

Syngman Rhee was the "George Washington of South Korea." He was the father of his country. He arrived with his Austrian wife and they were about 70 or so years old.

Their visit went well and the colonel was relieved to see them depart in the motorcade with flags flying.

Rhee had been imprisoned and then exiled in the USA (Hawaii) while fighting against the subjugation of Korea by the Japanese between 1897 and 1945. The Japanese were cruel oppressors of the Korean people. They treated them as slaves. During World War II they used Korean women as "comfort women" for the Japanese soldiers. Allied victory resulted in the expulsion of the Japanese.

Korea was divided into North and South along the 38th parallel in 1945. Rhee became the first president of South Korea in 1948. He studied in the United States and wrote a book, Spirit of Independence. He was a national hero of long standing.

He proved to be a strong leader in the Korean War but his dictatoral style provoked unrest and riots in 1960. One day, Colonel Arbuckle sent out an order that all US troops were to be confined to barracks. From my 5th floor BOQ room (Bachelor Officers Quarters) at the Chosan Hotel in downtown Seoul, I could see swirling lines of students with white cotton bands, with writing tied across their foreheads, marching and snake dancing through the streets.

The revolution took less than two weeks to depose Rhee. The 25 foot high statue of Mr. Rhee on Nam San Mountain overlooking Seoul was yanked unceremoniously off its pedestal.

The national hero was again sent into exile, in Hawaii. This time by his own countrymen.

As I read the Yin and Yang of American politics, I wonder. Will today's heroes be exiles?

Fame and honor are elusive!

Syngman Rhee (1875-1965) is a poignant example.