Care for the Sentry

One early morning in October Juche 39 (1950) when the Fatherland Liberation War was at its height, Kim Il Sung, Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army, dropped in at a sentry post of the field headquarters.

When he asked the sentry if he still had a long time to stand on duty, the sentry answered with vigour that he still had to keep on duty for a good while before he would be relieved.

Giving a trustful look at the soldier, Kim Il Sung said he would relieve him.

The sentry, quite embarrassed, said he could not do so. 

Putting a sheet of white cloth on the sentry, Kim Il Sung said he could hardly get to work as he knew he was shivering with cold outside.

The sentry was moved to tears, and then asked the Supreme Commander why he burned the midnight oil doing his work day by day.

Giving a smile, Kim Il Sung said: I feel tired myself, but you know, if I had a sleep as much as I wanted, we would have to fight so much more difficult, and so much longer, a war. How could I, Supreme Commander, give it up, when you, a young soldier, are enduring the hard time of it? We may have a good sleep after we win the war.