U.S. veterans commemorate Korean War victory at Inchon

U.S. Korean War veterans Pedro Villafrane, left, and Harry Holvick receive flowers from South Korean schoolgirls during the 50th anniversary ceremony of battle at Inchon

INCHON, South Korea (AP) -- Schoolgirls danced and South Korean marines smashed tiles in a martial arts performance Friday for graying U.S. veterans gathered to commemorate the most famed allied victory during the 1950-53 Korean War.

The Inchon amphibious landings, 50 years ago Friday, turned the war's course in favor of U.S.-led U.N. forces fighting communist invaders.

About 3,500 people, mostly South Korean active-duty soldiers and schoolchildren, gathered at an indoor stadium to pay tribute to the allied soldiers who were killed while landing on the west coast.

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Dozens of U.S. Marine and Navy veterans attended the ceremony. A U.S. Navy band paraded inside the stadium.

"I couldn't help today but go back in my mind to what took place here -- the tremendous sacrifice and the birthplace of victory and the birthplace of freedom for this peninsula," said Gen. Thomas A. Schwartz, commander of U.S. Forces in South Korea.

On Sept. 15, 1950, U.S. and South Korean Marines stormed ashore at Inchon, located at about the peninsula's midpoint.

The 30-foot tides, seawalls and hidden shore guns, and the risk of landing at the heart of a port made the operation almost suicidal. But it also meant the attack was unexpected.

For two days, U.S. warships slammed the shores to knock out the enemy force. A total of 13,000 Marines went ashore on invasion day with only 21 deaths.

The allied forces pressed on to Seoul, 25 miles inland, breaking the back of the North Koreans who had swept into South Korea during the war's early weeks to corner allied forces at the southern tip of the peninsula.

"The sacrifices of the veterans laid the groundwork for South Korea's prosperity," said Lt. Gen. Kim Myong-hwan, commander of South Korea's 2nd Marine Division.

After the war, South Korea became the 13th largest economy in the world, while the economy of North Korea has faltered in the past decade with the loss of its traditional communist trading partners. The North now struggles to feed its people.

The war began on June 25, 1950 when North Korean invaders streamed cross the 38th Parallel. The United Nations voted to send troops to repel the invaders.

Despite the allied forces' success at Inchon, the war eventually stalemated and an armistice was signed July 27, 1953.

About 36,000 U.S. troops were killed during the three-year war. Besides the United States, 14 allied countries sent troops to fight on South Korea's side. They were Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, South Africa, France, Greece, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, Belgium, and Sweden.

The Korean border remains the world's most heavily fortified, with up to 2 million battle-ready troops guarding each side.

Relations between the two Koreas have improved dramatically since a historic summit between their leaders in June.

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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