Former Army helicopter pilot’s new mission is the Cary Tree Archive

CARY, N.C. — George McDowell has always liked trees, but he gained a special connection with them while serving in the United States Army in South Korea.

During its occupation of Korea from 1910-1945, Japan exported millions of Korean trees back home. McDowell noticed, when he was there years later, that many Koreans saw planting a tree as a symbol of independence.

The eastern side of South Korea is mountainous. McDowell flew Army helicopters as part of border patrol peacekeeping, so civilians often asked him to take them up the mountain to plant trees.

He’d tell them that, while he wasn’t allowed to fly them up the mountain, he could plant their trees for them.

Later, he asked a new general if he could fly some civilians to plant their trees, as a way to gain trust in the area. The general called the Pentagon the next day and got a waiver. Taking Korean citizens to plant their trees became a big part of McDowell’s job.

Now he’s bringing that spirit to a small patch of land here with the Cary Tree Archive.

The 6.5-acre plot is mostly open, with grassy hills, a few trees and a children’s playground.

The Tree Archive had its first mass planting Sept. 28, with about 50 participants, ranging from a 7-year-old to McDowell, who’s 70.

Planters included candidates from local elections, like Ya Liu, the first Asian-American town council member in Cary.

Kristen Moore, who recently opened a pharmacy in Cary, funded and planted a tree to celebrate the store’s launch.

“We want to stay here for a long time, and planting a tree was symbolic for that,” she said.

The group planted six bald cypress. The next mass planting, 15 to 20 trees, is today.

At his home, McDowell has a sapling that’s a direct descendant of the Davie Poplar, a tulip poplar on the University of North Carolina campus that’s more than 300 years old.

McDowell hopes to one day have a tunnel of trees that leads to the children’s playground.

RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER George McDowell’s passion for trees began when he was a U.S. Army pilot in Korea. He would fly trees into the mountains and plant them for Koreans, who considered the effort a sign of independence. He eventually flew Koreans up to plant trees.