Grand Ole Opry: Korean Style

When Uncle Sam treated me to an all-expense paid trip to Korea, with pay, I checked to see what would be available for short visits. The DMZ, of course, is certainly something that should be observed. Then it really strikes home that Korea is a country torn in half, with families still split by hostility and suspicion.

However, what I was looking for one particular day, was an opportunity to take a bus ride to an event that would not cost a lot of money. Several of us set out to visit Seoul, and after admiring Walker Hill, caught a ride to Osan Air Force Base to "eat out." Imagine our surprise when we found out the Korean Grand Ole Opry singers were scheduled to perform that afternoon,

It turned out that the group of Koreans who comprised the act were getting ready to go on tour, to places as far away as the United States. We did not hesitate to see the group in action. Boots, vest, jeans, fancy shirt and cowboy hat, everyone was ready to entertain the audience with songs from Nashville, Tennessee. Could they sing? They were great! The men and women put their heart and soul into giving a performance worthy of any performer who ever sang at the music hall. We laughed along with them at the yee-haw arrangements, and sighed as they sung of lost love gone wrong.

Dinner later on was good, but nothing that day compared with the wonderful feeling of being closer to home.