We did not actually spend much time in South Korea. I have found when we take long trips, it is best to break them up. In this case, we left Washington, DC, flew and overnighted in San Francisco, then flew the next leg into South Korea before continuing onward to China and Japan. We used South Korea as a stopover for a day and a half.

I don’t want to jump to conclusions, and I remind readers this was the experience of just two Americans, and a number of years ago at that. But in the brief time we were in country, the reverberating feeling from the populace was one of anger and hostility- at least towards these two Americans. Where we are usually accepted everywhere we go with great warmth by those around us, the Koreans seem to avoid, even shun us.

Perhaps, perhaps not.

All I know is that I came away wondering what more we could have done, as a nation, than to have given American lives, fighting for the Koreans’ freedom. I certainly did not expect ingratitude.