Korean War vets get theatric thanks

They were stalwarts who faced down the communist threat six decades ago, fighting a difficult three-year war across the rugged Korean countryside.

Augmented by troops from multiple nations, the American military — 480,000 strong — wrested a hard-won victory in the conflict, which essentially began June 25, 1950, the day North Korean forces invaded South Korea and open warfare began. More than 36,000 Americans were killed and 92,000 were wounded in what the press often billed as “the forgotten war.”

It is forgotten no more.

Korean War veterans recently won a special tribute during the national Memorial Day observance on the West Lawn of the Capitol, hailed in speeches, their mission regaled by the National Symphony. Multiple events, including a major convention sponsored by the Korean War Veterans Association, are planned to recognize the 60th anniversary this month.

Vets and anniversary both also will be honored by the Little Angels Children’s Folk Ballet of Korea, a bright flock of young Korean ballerinas, dancers, drummers and singers intent on demonstrating “the deep gratitude” felt by Koreans, who say Americans preserved their freedom, and therein lies a deep bond.

The group begins a monthlong tour of the United States this week, which includes free performances for the vets, their families and survivors.

“Our most important performance of all is awaiting us on this upcoming tour, because it will be perhaps the final ’thank you’ we can make to our precious Korean War veterans in the twilight years of their lives,” said founding director Bo Hi Pak, a retired Korean diplomat and South Korean military officer who organized the troupe in 1962.

“America paid a huge price of blood and tears that the Korean people will never forget,” he said.

The performers are young — ages 9 to 15 — living in a world far removed from the severity of that conflict. Swathed in brilliant traditional costumes and known for their exuberant precision, they have won praise from the likes of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak; former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell; Sen. Jim Webb, Virginia Democrat; former House Speaker Dennis Hastert; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; and former President George H.W. Bush.

“As proud Americans, let’s open our hearts to the Little Angels as they come to thank and comfort our war veterans, both past and present,” Mr. Bush said.

Indeed, the troupe has made 12,000 free tickets available to veterans and active-duty military; another 11,000 tickets are available at reduced rates.

The group began the four-city tour Monday in Norfolk, attending a wreath-laying ceremony at the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Memorial, honoring the man who was a key operational figure behind the defense of Korea from the earliest days of the effort in 1950.

“We want to give U.S. veterans a heartwarming performance and at the same time astonish them with the contrast between the ragged children they remember begging in the gutter in 1953 [and] these little visions of perfection on the stage,” Mr. Pak said.

The Little Angels appear at the Kennedy Center for a series of performances Wednesday through Friday, free for veterans and other military and survivors, or at reduced rates.

The group also will participate in a wreath-laying June 24 at the Task Force Smith Memorial Tree in Section 21 of Arlington National Cemetery, a cherry tree dedicated to the memory of the first U.S. Army contingent to engage with the North Koreans in July 1950. Members of the Little Angels also will place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

The troupe has been supported and funded by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon to honor the troops who he said “saved my country” and liberated him from a North Korean concentration camp.

The young ladies have won critical kudos from the New York Times, which proclaimed the troupe to be “phenomenal,” and its performance as having “never a dull moment.” For information on the performances, contact the Korean War 60th Anniversary Memorial Project through www.kw60project.com.