Min Hee 'Andy' Kim laid to rest

On her son's 20th birthday two weeks ago, Mi Hea Kim waited in her Ann Arbor home for a phone call or e-mail from Iraq.

She was worried because it had been about a week since she'd heard from Andy, who had sounded tired and mentioned how difficult his duties had become. The day passed with no word.

On Thursday night, Mi Hea Kim wept and hugged her son's still body as Marines stood guard on either side of his flag-draped casket.

Lance Cpl. Andy Kim, who died in Iraq Nov. 1 of a gunshot wound to the neck during combat duty, was honored during an emotional six-hour viewing, Marine Corps League ceremony, funeral service and reception at Covenant Presbyterian Church on Jackson Road in Scio Township.

Some people, perhaps expecting a closed casket, broke into tears as soon as they entered the building and saw Kim's body at rest. On one side of the casket was his serious Marine portrait. On the other, was a portrait of the Andy they all knew: smiling and relaxed.

Only the sound of soft hymns and people crying broke the silence during the viewing and visitation. Still, the evening had an overriding theme of hope and eternal life, as many spoke of Kim's faith in resurrection through Jesus Christ.

Most of the 500 or so mourners were, like Kim, of Korean descent. And many had worshipped with Kim at the Harvest Mission Community Church in Ann Arbor, where Kim had become a fervent Christian while a sophomore at Pioneer High School.

Kim's close friend, Jean Lee, said Kim would have loved the evening's emphasis on the eternal rather than temporal.

"He was a man of passion and good integrity,'' she said. "I know God fulfilled his purpose for Andy, and I'm really proud of him.''

His friend, Jaehyup Chun, noted that Kim said he was "ready to face anything'' before he left for Iraq in September.

Chun recalled the day he felt compelled to pray for his friend recently.

"God spoke to me in a powerful way and said, 'Andy is so safe in Christ. Andy is so secure in the Lord.' And that day was Nov. 1, 2006.''

Shawn Ashley, who was Kim's speech and composition teacher at Pioneer High, recalled how Kim had an easy-going, fun spirit. Ashley said after graduation, Kim came back to visit a couple of times, and the two talked about his decision to join the military.

"He said he understood the risks, and that it was what he wanted to do,'' he said.

His parents said he had wanted to join the Marines since he was a boy.

Dozens of Marines from all wars since World War II came to show their respects in the formal Marine Corps League ceremony, complete with bagpipes.

"It's a heart-wrenching service,'' said Tony Gillum of Belleville, a Vietnam veteran with the Marine Corps League. "But it's a needed service to help them draw closure to their son who gave his life ... who gave everything, his tomorrows, his children, his family for this country.''

At the end of the visitation, Kim's family took turns saying goodbye as onlookers fought back tears. When the funeral director slowly closed the casket, Mi Hea Kim leaned over, as if to gaze at her son's face until the last second.

The funeral service included a slide show of Kim in various activities, playing his guitar, jumping in the air with friends, at graduation. Also included was a clip of Kim talking to a group at church, and explaining how his relationship with God had given him a new reason to live.

Marine Sgt. Jesse Lake said he met Kim on June 25, 2005, the day Kim joined Charlie Company. He said he was always the first to volunteer, no matter the task.

"I asked some of the Marines in Charlie Company to describe him as he was in Iraq,'' he said. "The Marines who knew him best wrote: 'We were always in awe of his ability to be so soft-spoken in demeanor, yet to fight with such tenacity.

"Lance Cpl. Kim was an outstanding Marine. His smile and uplifting spirit will be missed by the Marines in Charlie Company.

"Semper fideles.'''

David Shin, Kim's pastor from Harvest Mission Community Church, reminded the crowd that God does not promise a trouble-free life, but that life is fleeting and followed by eternal life in heaven.

"And that is why today we can rejoice,'' he said. "Because we know that Andy loved God passionately and now he is with the Lord.''

He said some may feel anger that Kim decided to choose to go into the service, purposely putting himself in harm's way, while others may feel indignant about the war.

He suggested that they instead honor Kim for what he had done.

"For Andy lived with a clear calling,'' he said. "He lived for something greater. He strived to serve his country ... Many say that Andy was only a kid. But I want to tell you today that Andy was a man. He was a man of courage.''

Kim's only brother, Isaac, 17, thanked the crowd for all they'd done for the family, and described his brother as an ordinary, average, skinny guy who sometimes kicked him out of his own room when he wanted to use his computer.

"He was an ordinary guy who did something extraordinary,'' he said. "He was my brother, my mentor, my friend. Most of all, he was my hero. Because of his life, I still stand here and say God is good. God is so good.'' The family escorted the casket to the waiting hearse, and watched as it drove away.

Kim will be buried Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery.

The family chose the site because Don Kim remembered the day he told his son he was worried about him signing up for the military, and said he didn't want him to end up in Arlington.

"Andy told me, 'If I go to Arlington, that's honorable,'' said Don Kim. "So we'll take him to Arlington.''

From the Ann Arbor News

Two Marines Killed in Iraq Shared Early Desire to Serve

Marine Lance Cpl. Minhee "Andy" Kim and Cpl. Michael H. Lasky died young, but family and friends said they died believing they had made a difference.

Both men were killed in combat in Iraq's Anbar province. Kim, 20, of Ann Arbor, Mich., died Nov. 1. Lasky, 22, of Sterling, Alaska, died Nov. 2.

Yesterday, they were buried hours apart at Arlington National Cemetery, where the sun occasionally broke through the clouds and cast shadows over the rows of white headstones.

Mourners gathered before noon to honor Kim. His parents, Dong and Mi Hea Kim, South Korean immigrants, wept as they received a folded American flag.

Isaac Kim said his older brother was committed to his faith and to joining the military. He wrote to a Marine recruiter in elementary school but was turned down for being too young, news reports said.

"He wanted to serve his country. He was thankful for being a U.S. citizen, and this was a small way to pay back that gratitude," said David Shin, Kim's pastor at Harvest Mission Community Church in Ann Arbor.

After graduating from Pioneer High School, Kim enrolled at Purdue University and enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve. He transferred to the University of Michigan at Dearborn last year after completing basic training.

In September, he deployed to Iraq with the Marine Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division of Lansing, Mich.

John Thomas, a gunnery sergeant who taught Kim, remembered him as soft-spoken and committed.

"The first time I met him, I asked him, 'Marine, why are you so quiet?' He replied, 'Waiting on the gunny to provide instruction!' He had a quiet, reserved demeanor," Thomas wrote in an online guest book.

Family and friends said they are struggling with the sudden loss.

"I think a lot of people were sad because he died at such an early age," Shin said. "But at the same time, all of us are really proud of what he stood for, serving his country and being a faithful Christian. We know he was able to live a full life while he was here."

Kim and Lasky were the 274th and 275th service members killed in the Iraq war to be buried at Arlington.

From the Washington Post

Related Link:
Min Hee 'Andy' Kim remembered

Related Link:
Min Hee 'Andy' Kim killed in combat