400 Korean War veterans honored at National Day of Korea event in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Jimin Kim, the Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Korea, said they celebrate the National Day of Korea every year on October 3rd but decided this year to dedicate it to veterans and put on this huge party.

Kim says that the veteran population is shrinking so it seemed like a good time to show their appreciation for their sacrifice and devotion.

"The youngest I believe is 85 years old. They have aged rapidly so we thought it would be a very timely period to host this kind of event," said Kim.

Mickey Ganitch, a veteran, said he was very grateful for the recognition and to be in the same room with others who had had the same experience.

"It's great because so many of us are getting up in age and who knows how many more years we have. I just like to associate with people that took part in what we did there. It is an honor to be here and I'm glad to be here even though I'm not walking that good," said Ganitch.

Organizers say they hope the event will show the younger generations how great it is to be an American.