Sue and Rick Kizer walk through Yongsan Children's Garden, Sept. 12, and recall their youth spent in this place when it was part of Yongsan Garrison. Courtesy of Yongsan Children's Garden

The transformation of Seoul from the end of the war in 1953 to the thriving metropolis it is today is awe-inspiring, and it was an honor to witness its growth. It is like the phoenix rising from the ashes.

Yongsan Garrison was a city within a city. My family lived there from September 1967 to June 1970. My father Wendell Cosner was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Advisory Group, my mother Jane volunteered with several organizations, and my two younger brothers, Jim and Rich, attended the grade school on base.

My high school sweetheart, Rick, lived in a housing area called New Itaewon which is now part of the arboretum (forest) on Mount Nam, because his father worked for Foremost McKesson. Even though we parted ways after Korea, our years together in Seoul influenced the rest of our lives. It wasn't until 2014 that we reconnected. We married in 2015 and so our high school romance came to fruition.

It has only been 70 years since the Korean Armistice Agreement ended the Korean War — that's our lifetime; Rick and I were both born in 1953.

The same year we turned 70, we both were delighted to return to Korea last September to see the newly opened Yongsan Children's Garden, the starting point of a city park built on the same space as the area I used to call home.

Rick and Sue Kizer visit Yongsan Children's Garden in central Seoul, Sept. 12, with Amorepacific's iconic headquarters looming in the background. Courtesy of Yongsan Children's Garden

I'd had the good fortune to visit Seoul in 1979 and again in 2018. The last time Rick was in Seoul was in 1971. Although he'd seen pictures of the city in recent years, he was not prepared for the magnitude of growth and high-rise buildings. We were both impressed and thankful that palaces and other historic sites were protected and maintained.

Knowing that "our little city" would be demolished and actually seeing a park in its place are two different things. We are absolutely delighted the garrison is becoming a park and not more high-rise buildings. The park is already an inviting and restful environment in a bustling city.

Rick and Sue Kizer pose next to a sign for Yongsan Children's Garden in central Seoul, Sept. 12. Courtesy of Yongsan Children's Garden

When we first saw the sign for the park we both teared up. There were the houses we'd known, looking exactly like we'd remembered. Rick spent most of his time on Yongsan either playing basketball at Collier Field House, at the craft center developing photos or at my house.

Preserving a few houses as mini-museums is a brilliant idea and allows visitors to get a glimpse of life in Yongsan Garrison in the late 1960s. I hope that visitors will think back to life in Seoul during that same time.

Rick and Sue Kizer sit in a house displaying items of their youth in Yongsan Children's Garden, Sept. 12. Courtesy of Yongsan Children's Garden

I still can't find the right words to describe our reaction to seeing "Sue's House," modeled after my former home. When I was contacted by Daniel Oh with Yongsan Legacy to share mementos, pictures and memories of my time in Seoul, I had no idea it would result in such a wonderful compilation of our time there. The attention that has been given to the smallest detail is beyond description.

So many memories came flooding back. It really did feel like stepping back in time to "my house." Many of our friends have commented about the fan-shaped brass fireplace screen that so many of our houses had.

Military families who are assigned to live outside of the U.S. have a relatively low weight allowance for the transport of their furniture and other belongings. The only furniture my family took were our beds and my piano, so the rest of our furniture was provided by the military. That meant that most families' homes had the same furniture, floor plan and exterior.

Our mothers did miraculous jobs of creating homes out of houses. My mother had a talent for mixing Korean furniture and G.I.-issued furniture.

Sue Kizer introduces photos on display at "Sue's House" in Yongsan Children's Garden, Sept. 12. Courtesy of Yongsan Children's Garden

The picture of Rick and me taken before our Junior Senior Prom looked so perfect above the fireplace mantle. We had a picture taken standing by the photo — my oh my, we were so young.

A photo of Rick and Sue Kizer is displayed over the fireplace in "Sue's House" in central Seoul's Yongsan Children's Garden, May 19. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

My bedroom is decorated with all the details I gave, including a dress hanging in the closet that looks like one I'm wearing in a photo in the room. There is even a large stuffed bear because I'd mentioned that I had stuffed animals lined up on my pink bedspread.

Sue Kizer's childhood bedroom is recreated in "Sue's House" in central Seoul's Yongsan Children's Garden, May 19. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

The room dedicated to my father is amazing. He passed away six years ago and I was not able to hold back my tears when I walked into the room with three large photos showing him at different stages in his Air Force career. There is even an enlarged copy of a letter of commendation written about him. My father spoke of our years in Korea as his favorite assignment.

By collecting and telling the stories of those who have lived and worked on Yongsan Garrison, Yongsan Legacy keeps the area from becoming just land. It preserves the truths and energies for the future. It removes mysteries and misconceptions while at the same time providing differing perspectives.

A path leads through central Seoul's Yongsan Children's Garden, May 19. "Sue's House" is on the right. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

I understand that what we were able to experience is the first phase of Yongsan Children's Garden. As a retired educator and a mother, I was impressed that a library and a secondary reading area are part of the Children's Garden. Including spaces for stories in a park for children is brilliant. A safe environment and a book encourage curiosity and creativity. These are spaces where children can reenact the stories they've heard or read, or create their own fantasies.

There is a building with a map of Yongsan Garrison and the park to help visitors envision the past and the future of the area.

Yongsan Garrison is laid out for visitors to see, on a large map on display in central Seoul's Yongsan Children's Garden, May 19. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

I was especially impressed with the exhibit about the evolution of Korean pop music. Only recently did I learn about the impact of the U.S. military on the rise of Korean musicians. Who would have ever guessed that musicians learning American pop music off the radio in the early 1960s would eventually give birth to K-pop? Music really is universal. Now American musicians are learning Korean from listening to K-pop.

An exhibit in central Seoul's Yongsan Children's Garden, May 19, reveals many early Korean popular musicians who got their start performing for U.S. military personnel. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

The biggest thrill of our trip was attending a concert honoring Korean and American military personnel. It was a beautiful mix of traditional and pop music. To be seated on the front row and acknowledged by the audience was truly the experience of a lifetime. Never in a million lifetimes could I have imagined my father's career in the Air Force would later result in our trip to Seoul, Sue's House and attending the concert.

I can best describe our feelings in Seoul as being time-travelers. I hope that the 70 years while the U.S. military was located in Seoul at Yongsan Garrison left enough positive energy to override the misery caused by the earlier Chinese and Japanese occupation forces. Unlike the Chinese and Japanese forces, the U.S. military presence in Seoul was never intended as an occupation. South Korea and the U.S. are allies.

During the past 70 years, thousands of children played and laughed and learned on Yongsan. Now it continues to be a land where children can play and laugh and make memories with their families. It will be amazing to see the completed park.

Sue Kizer, the daughter of Wendell Cosner, lived in Yongsan Garrison from September 1967 to 1970. Visit yongsanlegacy.org for more information, or visit reserve-yongsanparkstory.kr to make a reservation and see "Sue's House" for yourself.