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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEvent set to honor Korean War vetsEvent set to honor Korean War vets By DENICE HERNANDEZ denice.hernandez@theeagle.com Published Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:03 AM; The Eagle newspaper Community leaders will break ground on a Korean War memorial at Veterans Park in College Station on Friday -- the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War. Former U.S. Navy Capt. Mike Newman, who serves as president of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Foundation, said the day marks an important time in history not only for Americans, but for the world. "It is important that we recognize and honor [Korean War veterans'] service and try to teach the younger people, who were not alive during this war, what this war was all about," he said. On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea, prompting the U.S. and other United Nations countries to join the fight against communism. Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Randy House, vice president of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Foundation, said the day should be used for reflection to appreciate the "tremendous alliance that goes back 60 years" between the Republic of Korea and the U.S. "They fought under our command and we fought under their command. We fought together, and when you look at the history and the relationship with South Korea, it is one of the strongest we have and it is an important one," he said. Members of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Foundation board said they are expecting a large number of Korean students to attend the ceremony, including several active-duty Korean officers who are attending graduate school at Texas A&M. House said about 400 Korean students are enrolled at the university. House is also a close friend of South Korean Gen. Paik Sun-yup, who has helped raise $65,000 for a "twin statue" that will be placed at the memorial. The memorial will include statues of a Korean soldier and a U.S. soldier standing side-by-side. "I went to him with this idea and what we wanted to do, so he put together a meeting and I briefed some other South Korean veterans about what my vision was and what we are doing here at the park. I asked if they would help contribute to the U.S. soldier statue, and the idea was very well received," House said. The money raised by Paik will go toward funding the statue of the U.S. soldier, and the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Foundation will fund the Korean soldier statue. "This is a significant gesture, and it is a recognition between the partnership and alliance the two countries have," said Steve Beachy, a board member of the Brazos Valley Memorial Foundation. The statue is titled, "katchi kapshida," which means "we go together" in Korean. For House, this phrase represents "the strong and enduring personal relationship between the Republic of Korea and the U.S., and this symbolizes the very unique and long-standing relationship we have had with another country." The statues will be unveiled on Veterans Day, and Paik is expected to attend. Payne Lara, a Navasota artist, is creating the piece and has already created two other memorial statues for the park. A statue dedicated to the American Revolution will be unveiled July 1. "He is a very unique, very talented artist who is also a very dedicated historian," Newman said. "He gets very involved with these statues as far as understanding who the participants were." Newman said the goal is to have a statue dedicated to each of the 18 sites on the Lynn Stuart Pathway in Veterans Park. Friday's ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and will include a presentation of the colors, a rifle salute and taps played by the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. National anthems of both countries will be played. House will be the keynote speaker. Anyone interested in contributing to future statues can call 696-6247 for information. The foundation is also accepting veterans' names to be placed on the Wall of Honor until Aug. 15.