By Vernon L. Williams
I played French horn in the 8th Army Band, the United Nations Command, on Yongsan in Seoul from 1966 to 1967.
8th Army Band beginning a United Nations ceremony
8th Army Band sign in front of band hall on Yongsan
There were many things about the year that I spent in Korea that lingers on in my memory over a half century later. Early in my time at Yongsan I went into Seoul and auditioned for a place in the French horn section in the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. I did this because all of us in the 8th Army Band had large blocks of time free so decided that playing with the orchestra would be a good way to learn more about the Korea people. I think that perhaps I was chosen because I was an American, not because I was such a great player. I remember the other French horn players in that orchestra at the time were playing old beat up horns that must have come from the early 8th Army Band, maybe during the war itself. I had a hard time even getting a sound out of one of them, and of course, they all played circles around me. But it was a great experience for me, and a sense of community developed between us. I visited their homes, spent some time with their families, got to know these well-educated elites whose children had done so well in music.
But probably my most important memory of playing with the symphony was the very first concert that I played with them. It was a concert that was organized and hosted by Army Special Services at Yongsan. The program was for the United Nations Command and their families.
I played the first part of the concert, and at intermission, I was putting my horn down on the chair, intending to go get a Coke or something when young man in civilian clothes approached me. He wasn’t too much older than me, maybe 25 or 27. And he asked me, “would you mind coming with me, someone would like to meet you.” And so, I just followed him to the back of the hall. And there, surrounded by a large group of high ranking officers and their wives was this older lady, sitting in this overstuffed chair. The young man went around behind her, put his hands on her shoulder, and said, Ms. Buck, I would like you to meet Sergeant Vernon Williams of the U.S. Army. And of course, it was Pearl Buck.
Pearl S. Buck, circa 1960s
She had spotted me in the orchestra because I stood out since I was the only westerner, the only American. Everyone else was Korean, at that point in time anyway. She said, “come sit down here.” She put her hand on my knee, and she started peppering me with questions. “What was I doing in the orchestra and why was I playing with them, and what did I think about the Korean people?” Of course, all these other people were anxious to get to talk to her, get to meet her. But she spent the entire intermission period talking to me, asking me questions and listening very intently to my answers. Of course, I was young and only nineteen years old, had not been to college yet. I would hate to go back and hear my answers, but she seemed to be so pleased with what I had to say. Pretty soon the lights went down and signaled the start of the second half, so I got up and said my goodbyes to her and returned to the orchestra and played the rest of the concert. I never saw her again. This was in June 1967, She would die about six years later. She had come to Korea working with her foundation, supporting orphanages and adoptions that specialized in children who had Korean mothers and American military fathers. She was so concerned with children who had been abandoned by their American military fathers. These children were ostracized by many in Korean society who would not accept mixed heritage children. Ms. Buck had been to Korea many times before and was making a real difference.
At the 8th Army Band we supported an orphanage, not for mixed race children, but Korean orphans who had lost their Korean parents. We visited the orphanage many times, helping to repair things for the children and providing supplies and sometimes food for the little ones. At Christmas, we always hosted the children for a party at our band hall on Yongsan. The children put on a program for us, dressed in colorful Korean clothes, and sang Christmas songs for us in English. It is a memory that sticks with me after all these years.
8th Army Bandsmen visiting orphanage, front row, seated, Vernon Williams (French horn);Orphans performing Christmas program at 8th Army Band Hall, December 1966
Orphans performing Christmas program at 8th Army Band Hall, December 1966
At the time I knew little about Pearl Buck and her work with mixed race children and the orphanages who cared for them. Later I learned more about her and the Pearl Buck Foundation. And so I think back about those few minutes that I spent with her and am constantly amazed at the impact that she had on me, in just those few moments and for the rest of my life.
Vernon L. Williams in Band Barracks, Yongsan
SP5 Vernon L. Williams, circa Spring 1967
Dr. Vernon L. Williams is President of the Old Primeo Historical Foundation and is a military and naval historian and producer/ director of numerous documentary films on American military history and on the history of the American West.