Interviewer’s Note

Patricia Orlando showed her resilience from the very beginning of our conversation. She was determined to share her story with me despite struggling with severe back pain that repeatedly caused her visible discomfort during our interview. Several times during our conversation, she fought through pain, refusing to let her physical challenges hold her back. Patricia’s deep appreciation for family stands out as well. She really does prioritize keeping the family together, even when it meant going through bureaucracy to bring her family to Korea when the military wouldn’t fund them.

From Connecticut to the World: My Journey

I grew up in Connecticut in what I would call an ordinary childhood. After high school, I worked for my father’s steel fabricating business as his secretary and bookkeeper for a couple of years before getting married. My father’s business made parts for airplanes and satellites, with many government contracts. He was famous for his work and did very well. I loved working for him and getting to know all the workers in the factory. They were all talented with those big machines, and they all appreciated working for him.

My father was a medic in World War II, for the Marines in the Pacific. He got shot in the leg trying to save men out in the fields. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his service. I’ve always been proud of him. A true role model.

When I was 21, my life changed when I married a military man, a colonel. This marriage would take me around the world, starting with Germany in 1966. Our first son was born there in 1967. Unfortunately, he passed away later when he was 53 from a heart attack.

Life in the military meant constant movement. After Germany, we lived in Georgia for about a year and a half. The people there were exceptionally kind and friendly. Then we kept moving: Illinois where I had my second son, Kentucky, Korea, Kansas, West Point in New York from 1976 to 1980, and then back to Georgia. Each place offered new experiences and new friends, though the constant relocating was sometimes rough. We had to make new friends each time, you know? But I think the kids enjoyed it. We thought it was fun.

Discovering Different Cultures

Living abroad opened my eyes to different ways of life. In Germany, I joined an international women’s club where I met German ladies who shared their stories with me. They were very serious about life and had experienced the hardships of World War II.

Korea in 1974-75 was particularly memorable. They gave us a hard time having the whole family there. We weren’t authorized by the military to go, so we had to pay to come ourselves. I insisted on bringing the children so they wouldn’t miss their father. It was important to me to keep the family together.

Korea was a different culture that I found fascinating. I ended up teaching English conversation to Korean women who had learned English in college but couldn’t speak it correctly. They would come to my house, and we would practice, writing stories about their lives to help me understand them better. I learned all about their culture.

What stood out most was how they honored their ancestors. There was a holiday where they’d go up a mountain to leave food at the gravesites of their family. That was something special. I was especially impressed by how they honored their husband’s mothers. The mother-in-law was like the queen of the family, and they couldn’t say anything against her. I liked that sense of honor and respect.

I also saw how disciplined their children were, not at all like my American children. Hehe. When Korean visitors came to our home, my kids would run around the living room wildly. Then they got to see “the bad side of American kids, the independent side.”

Finding My Place

Throughout all these moves, I worked many jobs. Before marriage, I worked for my father’s business. Later, I worked in hotels, setting up rooms and banquet halls, which I enjoyed because I got to talk to a lot of different people in their businesses.

In Georgia, I worked for an advertising company which merged with a New York company. Their biggest clients were Coca-Cola and Delta. When I first got there, I needed hysterectomy surgery. Everyone at the company was so incredibly supportive. They sent me flowers and souvenirs while I recovered. The head of the company even arranged for my insurance to be active in time to cover the operation. I couldn’t believe it. I was just a newcomer.

After my former husband and I divorced for the second time, I settled in Ellicott City, Maryland. I called my place there my “winter castle.” I fell in love with Ellicott City’s historic downtown with its interesting little businesses. I volunteered at the welcoming center, telling visitors about historic attractions like how we had the first railroad in the area. I liked how the city preserved its history.

Lessons and Gratitude

The most important role in my life has been that of a mother. My sons are my most important accomplishments, and I’m proud that my son has been taking care of me during my health challenges.

Among friends, those from the advertising company in Georgia and the hotel business have been most important. One special friendship is with P., whom I met when she was only 16 working at the advertising company in Georgia. We’ve remained close friends, and she visits whenever she’s in my area.

I’m grateful for my life. The kindness of people who helped me and became friends in every place we lived, especially in Georgia, has been profound.

If there’s one message I’d like to share, it’s this: when newcomers come around, reach out to them, befriend them, and help them. That’s what happened to us in most places, and it made all the difference.

I’m grateful for my sons and my grandchildren. My wish is to make it to my grandson’s wedding in September. He’s my first grandson to get married, and two of the others are about to get engaged. That’s what really matters. Being there for these important family moments and continuing to be grateful for the adventure of a life I’ve been blessed to live.

With love,

Patricia Orlando