Brian Hough retells how he fought in Korea with the King's Regiment, his national service being his rare chance to see the world as well as what was planned for someone with a working class background. His regiment went through intensive training to prepare for the Korean War but Brian’s rough upbringing and his familiarity with discipline from school made it manageable.  Brian grew up with no hot water or upstairs electricity but that was nothing compared to the level of poverty he witnessed in Korea; the lack of sanitation, outdated technology and crowds of starving children made it seem like he'd gone back in time. Upon arriving at the trenches, he was apprehensive but got on with it due to being conditioned to believe everything would be okay if he followed his training and did what he was told.  After an invasion of the King’s Regiment's trenches, Brian saw hundreds of fiercely fanatical Chinese soldiers charging toward them, making hand to hand combat seem inevitable. Before Brian could panic, his commander bravely ordered artillery fire on the Chinese despite how close they were but miraculously none of the shells fell short and hit them. The King’s Regiment received battle honours for the role they played in bringing democracy to South Korea and Brian was amazed to see how quickly they then began advancing.

Bernie's interview begins with her retelling the story of how she never wanted to join the army, but as she was too short to join the police, she found herself at the army recruitment office instead. She was posted to Mill Hill in London to train with the postal and courier services. Bernie handled classified mail and transported important documents during the height of the Cold War and IRA threats. In 1978 Bernie was posted to Northern Ireland where she was flown with mail to different barracks and sites all over the country. She remembers experiencing an explosion in the barracks, and in that moment realising that no one was safe from the bombings. After Ireland, Bernie returned to Mill Hill, then Dusseldorf where she ran a post office on the Rhine. She was then posted to the Falklands and responsible for organising soldier's mail as it came into the port. On her return home she was promoted to Quartermaster, and later Sergeant Quartermaster in the Royal Artillery Regiment in Warwickshire. It was at this point in her career that she began to feel the WRAC shifting, and was sad to leave in 1994 when the Corps disbanded. Bernie shares her story because she believes it is important to document history and portray what has happened in the past.

Serving in patrol, John Bowman shares an uncommon glimpse into the delicate ceasefire which took place during the aftermath of the Korean War. Called up in 1952, the war had already lasted two years when John joined the Essex Regiment in Korea. Before this, he underwent extensive training, crossing between both Britain and Germany in preparation for the difficult terrain of a new environment. Common amongst new recruits from the UK, he possessed little knowledge of Korea itself. Arriving in Pusan, expectations were subverted upon receiving the sudden news that a ceasefire had been called; the calm of their newfound surroundings making this more apparent. However, it was a fragile peace and the UN still required troops to patrol their position and ensure stability. At Camp Salamanca, it was John's duty to re-fortify and strengthen their defences while the uncertainty of another North Korean attack hovered over them like a ceaseless cloud of dread. To add assurance, a new rule was implemented in which each side had to stay approximately 8 miles away from the 38th Parallel to reduce volatility of the situation. He spent many months in Korea, rebuilding the fortifications, discovering the remnants of previous battles, enduring harsh weather conditions and studying the difficult terrain of what was nicknamed 'Basterds' hill. Aside from his patrol duties, John still managed to have moments of respite: being able to express his love of painting for certain projects and contributing to a theatre production performed by famed comedian, Cheerful Charlie and his dancing troupe, the latter of which John found pleasant company. Many years later, he reflects on the reputation of Korea, amazed by their ability to overcome the devastation of the war but also questions the purpose and effectiveness of his country's involvement. John's interview provides a rare view into the aftermath of the Korean War, the conditions of its soldiers and the sensitivity of achieving peace.