Korean War experiences spark mixed memories

MEMBER COLUMN

by Lynne Burt-Jenkins

LW contributor

Reading Grace Kim’s passionate description of episodes in the Korean War (June 22), which must have brought serious, fearful memories for the Koreans and Americans who lived through that time, also brought back some other memories of that time that affected me in a far different way.

In about 1956, our Methodist Episcopal Church, Vanderveer Park ME Church, located in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, welcomed a South Korean family to our community. The family, a mom and dad and a daughter and two sons, were the first and only Koreans I, and most others, had ever met.

The father had been a minister in Korea and had been taken captive by North Korean forces. He was forced to spend a few years in prison to “pay” for his resistance to North Korea. By doing so, they permitted his family to emigrate out of Korea and into the United States. The family was separated for about three years while he was in prison. Then, he was released and allowed to leave the country.

At the time, I was in my early teens. My best friend Margaret lived across the street from my family. We all attended the same church and sang in the choir. One Sunday, the Wang family was introduced to our congregation. The daughter was about my age and the two sons were just ending their teenage years. It was interesting to see that this family was really just like all our church families. We happily welcomed them to the U.S. and to Brooklyn.

For the next couple of years, I saw the Wang family mostly on Sundays. They were all very nice—to be expected of a Methodist minister's family, right? It was easy to talk with each other, as we kids did.

Shortly after this time, I went to work in Manhattan and was not readily available during the weekdays, but I did see the daughter, whose name escapes me now, and occasionally the younger of the two sons. I presume the older son was also working during the day. They were too old to attend the Methodist Youth Fellowship and did not know how to play basketball, all of which took place either at our church or another local one. So most meetings were casual and laid back. Margaret dated the younger son for awhile.

There is not much to relate about the happenings then, but suffice it to say we all got along very well, and all my memories of that time are warm and happy. Shortly after this, my family left Brooklyn, and so I was never to see the Wangs again.

As for Grace Kim, I have found her also to be a warm and lovely person.

It was so nice to have met them all. The memories of wartime are never good, but memories of friendships always are, no matter how long ago they may be.