Pacific Stars and Stripes, June 18, 1957
THE KOREAN CONFLICT orphaned
thousands of children, but some of these youngsters have since been
lucky.
Lucky in finding new homes and foster parents
who love them, both in the United States and in their own country.
Among thousands of children being cared for in
Korea are 607 boys and girls at Hope, Inc., an orphanage near Seoul.
These children owe their welfare to Col. Dean Hess, an American minister
who became one of the nation's top flying aces during the Korean Conflict.
Col. Hess flew 280 combat missions during his
Korean service and arranged transportation for nearly 1,000 war orphans
from Seoul to the safety of a south coastal Island.
Hess wrote a book entitled "Battle Hymn" on his
Korean experiences, and it was later used as the basis of a movie
of the same name, starring Rock Hudson.
Hess donated proceeds from book and movie to the
upkeep of Hope, Inc., an orphanage he began during the conflict.
The orphanage is directed by Mrs. Onsoon Whang,
a soft-spoken, motherly Korean woman portrayed in the film by actress
Anna Kashfi.
One unusual aspect of Hope, Inc., is a 42 piece
children's band which was developed by another American of good will
- Lt. Col. Charles E. Gilbert, a former Civil Assistance Command Officer.
Col. Gilbert, who had been with the Music Dept.
of Ohio State University, gave the children musical instruction during
his free time over a two-year period.
Among the orphans, 25 lucky children got a free
round trip to Hollywood to assist in filming "Battle Hymn."
Several of these youngsters were among those Hess
personally rescued during the Korean Conflict.
PSS-611.2
