I haven’t been a follower of local / Hong Kong / Taiwan / Japan / South-Korean TV drama serials for the last 20+ years now. In fact, my vaguest recollection of watching an Asian drama series comes from my lower secondary days in the mid 80s when I followed the Eight Immortals series that was screened weekly. It was a family occasion at our old place at Sembawang Hills Estate where we all sat in front of our TV to watch a double-episode of the series every Sunday evening, and by the time each weekly segment ended at 11 pm, it was bed time for all three of us at home.
There was one Singapore-made TV series though that I think many people of my generation will remember fondly: it was a six episode TV mini-series simply called “Army Series” from 1983. This was one of the earliest locally-produced drama serials, and certainly the first I watched as a primary six boy then.
The series revolved around a group of Singapore boys who get recruited into national service and undergo BMT, or Basic Military Training. In the final episode of the series, one of the leading characters, the lieutenant of the recruit platoon played by the (then) dashing Huang Wen Yong, throws himself ontop of an exploding grenade to save this recruit, sacrificing his life in the process.
Ok, so it sounds rather corny now 26 years after that episode, but I remembered back then it was quite the coffee shop talk-ed about episode, and it was in its own way quite moving, especially the funeral procession scene with the Come Abide with Me hymn played.
Anyhows, this was the series that popped into my head upon reading the TODAY article today of how a 21 year old SAF lieutenant pulled a Huang Wen Yong:
From bravery to books …
WHEN Lieutenant (LTA) Kok Khew Fai threw himself onto one of his recruits to protect him from a stray grenade – and both soldiers walked away unscathed – little did the National Service officer realise the course of his life would dramatically change after his act of bravery.
One year ago, LTA Kok was bound for Nanyang Technological University to study aerospace engineering, two months before completing his National Service.
But those plans have changed.
Yesterday, the 21-year-old received a SAF Merit Scholarship to study aeronautical engineering at Imperial College in London, almost a year after he was conferred a top military award for his act of bravery.
…
During a grenade live throw exercise in March last year, a recruit under his charge accidentally dropped a live grenade which landed behind them 2m away.
LTA Kok had seconds to react before the grenade exploded.
The officer instinctively pushed the recruit down close to the wall of the throwing bay and threw himself over him to shield him from the blast.
Both soldiers were unhurt.
(Picture from The Straits Times article)
I thought that was indeed uncommon bravery on the part of LTA Kok (second left in the picture), and that his act was the more special because he was formerly a Permanent Resident but took citizenship. Bravo to this young man, and I wish him the best in his coming further studies.
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