“Falling. I will escape. I see a village ahead. Escape impossible!”
On December 13, 1991, over Deokheung Village in Gwangju, Korea, two fighter jets collided while preparing to land after a training exercise. One pilot managed to eject using his parachute, but the other, 23-year-old Lieutenant Lee Sang-hee, clung to the controls and heroically perished, leaving only his urgent last words.
Lieutenant Lee, on the brink of achieving his dream of becoming a pilot, was on his final training mission. As the damaged jet rapidly descended toward a densely populated area, Lee chose to forgo ejection to steer the plane away. The crash site ended up being just 10 meters (32 ft) from the nearest residential area, in a water celery field. Both villagers and military officials said, “Without his sacrifice, the village would have faced catastrophic damage.”
In honor of his bravery and sacrifice, a memorial stone was set up in front of the village senior center, and “Sanghee Park” was established in his hometown of Yatap-dong, Seongnam City, commemorating the selfless spirit of this young and courageous soldier.