Jeffrey Miller

Robert “Bobby” Washkowiak battles his way through the bitter first winter of the Korean War, longing for home, his wife, and newborn son. Fifty years later, his son and grandson come across his wartime letters and together, they try to find out what really happened to him on one of the battlefields of that “forgotten war.”

Journey back in time to a small Midwest town in the 1960s and experience adolescent and coming of age angst at a junior high dance, shop class, Saturday afternoon matinees part time jobs and carnivals while saving the town from Martian invaders. It was a time of whiffleball, root beer stands, sleepovers, space exploration and body counts. Set against the historical backdrop and the cultural and social turbulence of the 1960s, Invaders from Mars and Other Tales of Youthful Angst is a bittersweet, heartwarming, and nostalgic look back in time.

Snippets of life, maybe yours maybe someone else’s. A few minutes is all it takes to take a glimpse, savor an emotion. Turn the page and the words are gone, but the images remain like the memory of a clear photograph.

“How did you end up in Korea?” is a question that most people have asked when they learn that I have lived and worked in South Korea.

“I turned left at Japan,” I’ve often replied, tweaking a famous line from The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night when John Lennon was asked, “How did you find America?” upon which he replied, “Turned left at Greenland.”

When the author arrived in Korea in December of 1990, the country was still reeling from hosting the successful 1988 Olympics. It was an exciting time to be here; one could feel the energy and sense that the nation was poised to become a major player on the world stage. People have often talked about this “Miracle of the Han” when Korea’s economy started to take off in the 70s, but by the time Miller arrived here, it was no longer a miracle; instead, it had become a celebration.

The Korea that Miller knew back in 1990 was different and removed from the Korea of today. In the time that he has been here, he has seen a lot of changes and became witness to many historical events, which have affected not only the peninsula and the region, but also the world.

There are many stories to be told and shared; these are some of them.