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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011 Honoring Our Korean War VeteransR t > Honoring Our Korean War Veterans Memorial Day 30 May 2011 O n this Memorial Day, the Directors of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Foundation wish to continue honoring local veterans who served during the Korean War. On 25 June 2010, we broke ground on a Korean War Memorial on the sixtieth anniversary of the beginning of that war. Then on Veterans Day, 11 November 2010, we dedicated the monument which celebrates not only the service and sacrifice of all Korean War - era veterans, but also the special bond between the people of South Korea and the people of the United States. At both events, local Korean War - era veterans were well represented and specifically recognized. Today we urge everyone in our community to visit the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial in Veterans Park between Bryan and College Station and specifically the Korean War Memorial on the Lynn Stuart Pathway. There you can read a detailed history of the conflict and view the twin statues of an American Soldier and a Korean Soldier advancing together against a common foe. This idea is expressed in the Korean language by the words: "Katchi Kapshida" or "We Go Together." The Korean War is unique in America's military history from several aspects. First, it has not yet ended. Fighting stopped when an Armistice Agreement was finally signed on 27 July 1953 after two years of negotiations in conjunction with attrition warfare. Still today, United States and South Korean forces stand guard at the De- militarized Zone between North and South Korea to preserve the peace. Secondly, it was a "come as you are war." The military drawdown following the end of World War II left the United States with only a fraction of its former power. The surprise attack by the North Koreans was met by Republic of Korea Army and U.S. Army units largely undermanned and poorly equipped. When the first U.S. ground forces entered the conflict, South Korean soldiers were assigned to these formations to strengthen combat readiness. Thirdly, this was the first war in which mostly professional, standing military forces were involved instead x < < < i< ` of the citizen soldiers who answered the call to arms in every other conflict from the Revolution to World War II. The draft sent many young men to Korea as reinforcements and many World War II veterans were recalled to active duty from reserve units. However, large scale deployment of National Guard Units did not materialize. A notable exception was the 45th "Thunderbird" Infantry Division of the Oklahoma National Guard which drew its troops from Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The 45th Division was activated 01 September 1950 and was the first National Guard Unit to deploy to the Korean theater as one of three infantry divisions of the U.S. 8th Army. They entered combat in December 1951 and continued fighting North Koreans and Chinese forces until the summer of 1953. For their actions, the men of the 45th Division were awarded four campaign streamers .and a Presidential Unit Citation in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and the finest spirit of the Citizen Soldier. The Korean War is sometimes referred to as the "forgotten war." That is certainly not the case in the Brazos Valley. We are honored to have hundreds of veterans from that period living among us. Not all of the 6.8 million American men and women who served during the Korean War actually deployed to the war zone. Many thousands replaced active duty units that were rushed forward to meet the challenge of the first major action between the Free World and Communism. Their service helped to bolster American defenses around the globe in the critical early days of the Cold War. Director Bill Youngkin of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Foundatipn, generously supported by The Eagle, is working to capture the experiences of our Korean War -era veterans. It is hoped that they will come forward and share their stories of service with him and our community so that they may be preserved for the education and inspiration of future generations. If you are a veteran or know one whose story needs to be told, please contact Mr. Youngkin at 979 - 776 -1325 or visit our website www.bvvm.org.