BUTLER TWP — On the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, 35 Butler County veterans were honored at a luncheon sponsored by the county Veterans Services department.

Yoon Yeonjean, consul at the Korean Consulate General in New York, was the keynote speaker at Saturday’s event at the Vagabond Center.

He said that his father fought in the war. He said he had no choice but to take up arms to stop the spread of communism.

However, he noted that people in the United States may not have heard of Korea or knew anything about it at the time.

“But you came to my country to defend my country,” Yeonjean said.

Since the armistice on July 27, 1953, South Korea’s economy has flourished. At the time, the annual per capita income of South Korea was $67. Today, he said it is more than $20,000.

He said that a Methodist missionary from Pennsylvania came to Korea in 1885 to found the first modern school in the country. The first South Korean president, as well as Yeonjean, later graduated from this school.

“I’m very proud of my high school,” Yeonjean said.

He said that to him the alliance between the U.S and Korea goes back to that time.

“We have a future together,” Yeonjean said.

Since the end of the war, Korean forces fought with the U.S. in places such as Vietnam and Afghanistan.

“Your devotion never will be forgotten,” Yeonjean said.

He was able to attend the event because U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly’s office worked to get him there.

Kelly, R-3rd, of Butler said that the Korean War often is called the “forgotten war.”

“You know where it’s not forgotten? In the Republic of Korea,” Kelly said.

He said that since 1950, Korea has stood beside the U.S. with all of its military actions as a strong ally.

“Always there, always our friends,” Kelly said.

He said that 36,000 Americans went to fight in Korea and never came back.

He said that South Korea has become one of the strongest countries in Asia, with a strong economy and democracy. However, he said North Korea is “dark.”

Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Don Snyder did not fight during the war, but he recalled seeing the country when he arrived there in 1959.

“The place looked like a moon,” Snyder said, noting the war-ravaged hills did not have any trees.

Since then, South Koreans heavily celebrated Arbor Day and planted trees by hand. When flying above the country, he said you can see this in the forests.

“The trees are all lined up,” Snyder said.

Despite being somewhat forgotten, he noted that the war technically did not end. North and South Korea still are in a state of conflict.

“How can you forget a war we’re still fighting?” Snyder said.

To consider how scary this can be to people living there, he said to imagine the South Korean capital where Butler is and then imagine the North Korean capital where Mercer is.

County Commissioner Bill McCarrier said that he is sure that many of the veterans who were drafted to fight in Korea had mixed feelings.

“But, you did it because you knew it was your duty,” McCarrier said.

After the speakers, county veterans received certificates from Kelly and McCarrier.