President George Bush Visits Osan Air Force Base, March 2002

In March 2002, US President George Bush visited Osan Air Force Base during his visit to South Korea.

Although the Korea Times had already covered his visit to Korea, I asked the editor if I could cover his visit to Osan. The editor agreed, and I got in touch with the PAO at Osan to arrange for my addition to the press pool. 

I had previously written several articles about the Air Force, so I had no problem having my name added to the press pool.

The only thing was, I had to be at Osan at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. I had to catch a bus down to Songtan after I finished teaching at Yonsei University's Foreign Language Institute and then wait a few hours before I was allowed on base. 

I found a coffee shop that was open and stayed there until I could walk to the main gate at Osan, where I would be signed in.

After we went through security, all the press assembled on a flatbed trailer at the back of a hangar where Bush would speak.

At the time, I had a Nikon 35mm camera and a Nikon CoolPix digital camera. I used the 35mm camera with a telephoto lens.

This is the photograph that I took. It was one of those one-in-a-million (please excuse the exaggeration) chances that the lighting, framing, and even almost everyone having their eyes open, all came together.

Then, as soon as Air Force One took off, I hurried back to Seoul and the Korea Times office to have the film developed and write the article.