Paying Tribute to Fallen Soldiers of the Korean War
The Korean War ended in 1953, well over fifty years ago. It was an unpopular war to begin with, following so closely on the heels of World War II and with the United States seemingly without a vested concrete interest to even be involved to begin with in the minds of many Americans. The way that the war unfolded, with United Nations’ forces seemingly on the verge of a relatively easy victory over the North Korean invaders only to see Communist Chinese forces enter the fighting, left a bitter taste in the mouths of many. The ensuing armistice that left North and South Korea divided to this day did not seem like a clear cut victory for “good over evil”, further muddying the image of this conflict. Our jump from Korea into the quagmire that was Vietnam happened in a very short span of years, and eventually the Korean War took a back seat amongst our nation’s fighting campaigns.
This was just another tragedy of the Korean War, that paying tribute to fallen soldiers of the Korean War seemed to fade from our country’s consciousness as the years passed by. It was thought of by historians as the most brutal struggle in our nation’s history, with our troops facing a ruthless enemy that committed countless atrocities against our captured prisoners of war. The conditions that the battles were fought in were some of the most severe that could be imagined. The Battle of Chosin Resevoir, for instance, took place in sub-freezing temperatures that actually froze the blood in the wounds of our soldiers and made avoiding frostbite difficult.
The families of those that fought there have no problem paying tribute to fallen soldiers of the Korean War. They know the price that was paid by these men. It is up to today’s youth to pick up the torch and make sure that Korea will not become a footnote in our country’s history. This is what needs to be done for this to be accomplished. The students attending our schools must be educated about the Korean War, for them to begin to appreciate it and to be able to honor its victims. Once they are familiar with how these hostilities played out, they will have the ability to pay tribute to fallen soldiers of the Korean War.
If you want to contribute your energy to this worthy cause, here are some of the things that you can do. Be of assistance in educating kids about what took place on the Korean Peninsula from 1950 through 1953, so long ago. Korean War veterans are passing away almost as quickly as World War II participants are. The average age of a Korean War veteran today, in 2006, is 74 years old. Lend a hand in aiding students in their understanding of what these men went through, fighting for their nation in a convoluted confrontation with Communism that even they didn’t fully understand or appreciate. The best way to honor these people is to keep their spirit alive. The only way to do that is to make sure they are not forgotten. Find out if the history of the Korean War is taught in your local schools. Contact school administration and find out if it is on their current curriculum and let them know why you are concerned if it isn’t.
Find out in your community, your county, and your state who paid the ultimate price in Korea and where their final resting place is. Contact your local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for help with this information. Tell them you are looking for ways to pay tribute to Korean War dead; they will be happy to help you. There are also websites on the internet that can help you with this information. All POW-MIA Korean War Casualties is one that lists the servicemen that were killed, missing in action, or died as prisoners of war on a state by state basis. Over 33,000 American fighting men died in the Korean War. Chances are good that there are some buried in your area. Records that can be found in your town hall may prove helpful in your search as well.
Once you have located a fallen soldier from the Korean War, there are many ways to honor this individual. Maintaining the gravesite is the most obvious. Purchase new flags or flowers for the grave and be sure the markers are clear of grass and dirt that may obscure any information. On patriotic holidays such as Memorial Day, Flag Day, Veteran’s Day, etc. go to the grave and replace the flowers or flags. Get local schools and youth groups involved in this worthy undertaking. Let teachers and school administrators know what you would like to do. Offer any assistance they may need, such as preparing reports about the Korean War or whatever may be known about the local Korean War dead, such as service records or any medals and awards they may have been given. If at all possible, try to contact family members of these soldiers to see what information they can provide. Perhaps it is possible for there to be a formal ceremony each year on a specified date to honor these war dead. Such a ceremony could become a school project that a certain class each year must attend to.
Other school projects that would keep alive the essence of these soldiers and put the spotlight on their sacrifice would be for students to be required to research and report on aspects of the Korean War. A great place to start would be to learn about and report on Medal of Honor winners from this conflict. There were over 130 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients from the Korean War, most of them receiving the medal posthumously. There is much information available about these brave soldiers that can be garnered and shared with others. You yourself could prepare an article or report and submit it to a local publication. Again, use your local VFW or American Legion post to your advantage. Students could also find out if anyone in their own family paid the ultimate price in Korea and share whatever can be found about that person with their class.
Participate in any function that has the Korean War as its base, such as Veteran’s or Memorial Day parades or marking anniversaries. Watch the newspapers for obituaries of Korean War veterans and make donations to whatever cause is indicated. Start a scholarship program in the name of any local Korean War dead for your local grammar or high school, but be sure to have the ability to contact their family and let them know your intentions. In the process of raising money for the scholarship, you could have car washes, bake sales, or other fundraising events. At these events, you can have literature available with information about the individual and what he did in Korea, to raise awareness. Perhaps you could even raise money to have an official memorial to this soldier created. You can urge others to join you in honoring these fallen soldiers of the Korean War, so that their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten!
