Historical Connection

This is a re-post from my personal blog with minor tweak.

Here’s a photo of my grandfather I found online while doing a little bit of research. He’s the one saluting. And next to that, the border marker that in 1940-1942 defined the line between Thailand and Combodia.

The correlation? My grandfather, General Mangkorn Phromyothi, saluted the prime minister at the time, P. Phibunsongkram during the French-Thai war of 1940. Wikipedia has a version of the full story, but essentially my grandfather kicked some French butt and got a piece of Cambodia back to our side. Hence, the removal of the markers which one is at my home and the other in a military museum.

Anyway. I found my grandfather’s picture online because of Another Blogger’s recent post about her great grandfather, a controversial military and historical figure Thanorm Kittikachorn.

On that note, I had a hunch that our great/grandpas must’ve known each other so I did a little research.

Indeed.

At one point, our great/grandfathers were serving the same cabinet! And actually, a few governments after my grandfather was the Minister of Defense, AB’s great grandfather also took the same spot.

Remember how I said if you throw a shoe into the crowd in Bangkok, you’d find someone with royal DNA? I guess it’s almost the same way with being related to historical political figures, huh? 🙂

AB and I had found that we have a LOT in common with our blogging style and point of view. And now we found out that over 60 years ago, our great/grandfathers might have been friends.

You just never know who you’ll run into on the Internet! 🙂

Heck. At this rate, if we trace our family trees and found it intertwined at some point, I wouldn’t be surprise any more.

*ADDITION* Folks are pointing out the “war criminal” records that popped up with my grandfather. WWII was a tricky time for Thai politics and military. Like many other military figures at the time, this ruling was a result of Thai government cooperating with the Japanese and letting them march through our country without the actual occupation. So we were forced to be taken over like China, or we can save our own lives by cooperating as “an ally”. We chose the latter. Hence, the military figures at the time fell under “war criminal” category for being Japan’s ally. Hope that clear things up!