The date June 25, this past Sunday, rates mention as a historic day, but it passed with little notice or fanfare. It was 67 years ago, June 25, 1950, that the Korean War began.It was a rainy Sunday morning June 25, 1950, when North Korea’s artillery shells were fired across the 38th parallel, which divided the communist North from South Korea. The big guns signaled a full-scale invasion of the South by seven assault divisions of infantry supported by 150 Soviet-made T-34 tanks. The communists had 23,000 troops in reserve, ready to help the 89,000 soldiers who participated in the invasion.Opposing the North were four understrength divisions of 38,000 men in the South. Four other divisions were spread out in the South. The South’s army had no tanks or artillery. The U.S. had about 500 advisers to the South’s army. Seoul, capital of the South, fell to the communists in just four days.We had a couple of divisions in Japan that were rushed into battle. After the initial invasion nearly had reached Pusan, our invasion at Inchon split the invaders and not too long later, the battles reached the 38th parallel, and stayed more or less in that area until the ceasefire came.The U.S. gained support from the United Nations and the war continued until July 27, 1953, when a ceasefire agreement was reached. The U.S. was the main force that fought the communists.The war claimed 54,246 American lives, including 33,629 in combat and 20,617 killed from accidents or illness. There were 103,284 Americans wounded. There were thousands of prisoners of war. Most were freed in a prisoner exchange.We still have about 28,000 troops in South Korea. North Korea continues to pose a threat to the South. Do the South Koreans fear another war? As long as the U.S. backs the South, they have little to fear, even knowing that a first strike by the North would kill thousands and maybe millions of people in the South. In the end, with the help of the U.S., they know the North would be defeated.