More than 40 years ago, Lin Fu-long (林復隆) befriended a fellow serviceman named Peng Kuo-ku (彭國固) at a military camp in Yunlin County’s Tuku Township (土庫). Little did he know that fate would one day see them bond as if they were family.
Lin met Peng when he was enlisted in the marine corps. An excellent marksman and the best combatant in the squad, Lin quickly caught Peng’s attention and although Lin was 21 years younger, the pair became close friends, Lin said, adding that during his service he often invited Peng to his home in Tuku.
Time rolled on and Lin was discharged.
Photo: Liao Hsu-ling, Taipei Times
Then in 1972, Peng showed up at Lin’s butcher’s shop. Having retired prematurely due to an illness, Peng said that the first person he thought of after his retirement was Lin.
“Can I stay with you and your family?” he recalled asking, to which Lin agreed immediately.
Although Lin was not particularly well-off — having four children to raise and elderly parents to look after — and the men are not related by blood, Lin treated his former squad leader as if he were a brother.
Over the past 40 or so years, Lin has never abandoned his friend, who is now 91 years old.
Peng said Lin has set aside a suite and a living room for Peng’s accommodation. To show his respect for Peng, Lin added that he asked his children to call Peng “uncle.”
Meanwhile, in return, Peng helps out at the butcher’s shop and takes care of the children as if they were his own.
The heart-warming story became known when Chin Wen-tai (秦文臺), deputy director of the Yunlin County Veteran Service Center, praised Lin’s kindness and said that he provided even better care than a veterans’ retirement home.
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