"My Beloved Possession" An 80-Year-Old Retired Sergeant Sends a 'Hand Axe' to the Fire Station

An 80-year-old retired sergeant is touching hearts by sending the 'hand axe' he cherished and used during his military service, along with a thank-you letter, to the Ansan Fire Station of the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters.

According to the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 1st, a package arrived at the Ansan Fire Station on the 28th of last month. The package contained a carefully written handwritten letter along with the hand axe.

Mr. Heo Hyung-rae (85), who identified himself as a retired Army sergeant, wrote, "I would like to thank the firefighters who prevented casualties of 52 people during the recent fire at a motel shopping area in Ansan. The action of firefighter Park Hong-gyu, who broke the glass with a hand axe and rescued lives, was admirable. I am sending the hand axe I purchased and used, and I would appreciate it if you could use it when needed."

An 85-year-old retired sergeant major, Heo Hyung-rae, residing in Dongducheon, sent a thank-you letter and a hand axe to the Ansan Fire Station last month. Provided by Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters.

Mr. Heo introduced the hand axe he sent this time as one he has used since he was a sergeant decades ago, saying it is like an extension of himself.

Heo served in the Army field units and the Army Headquarters for 35 years from 1962 to 1996 before retiring as a retired Army sergeant.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters personally visited Mr. Heo to express their gratitude for the letter and hand axe he sent, and they plan to preserve the hand axe as an exhibit at the Gyeonggi Fire History Museum, scheduled to open this month.

Earlier, in the early morning of the 17th of last month, a fire broke out at a six-story motel shopping area in Ansan. However, the Ansan Fire Station rescue team that responded broke the windows on each floor's stairwell with axes to vent heat and smoke outside. This allowed them to successfully enter the building, preventing a major casualty incident with no deaths.