Korean War Veteran
Internet Journal for the World’s
Veterans of the Korean War
August 1, 2015
Korean War Veterans Association marks 20th
anniversary of Korean War Veterans Memorial
and 62nd anniversary of signing of the Military
Armistice Agreement
Photograph of famous Korean War Veterans Memorial on the Mall in Washington,
DC, was commemorated and Consecrated in July, 1995. Photo provided by Col
(Ret’d) Warren Wiedhahn, national vice president KWVA
Commemorating the end of the Korean War – a great
victory that we all fought for
The group of 500 veterans, family members and supporters solemnly
convened in Washington, DC, over the period July 22-27, participating
in the activities of the national convention of the Korean War Veterans
Association.
Everyone was blessed by temperatures in the mid-80’s, with a refreshing
stiff breeze blowing from the East on every day during the convention.
On July 28, however, the air turned typical DC sultry once more, with
the thermometer pretty much stuck at 95F – and even sometimes
climbing higher.
Dignitaries present at the official Korean War Veterans Memorial 20th
anniversary commemoration service were many, from the United States,
the Republic of Korea, Canada and other nations.
Dignitaries stand before gathering of approximately 500 veterans, family
members and supporters to start the official 20th anniversary ceremony for the
Korean War Veterans Memorial. Lady second from left is the highly respected Dr.
Lee In-ho, the chairperson of Korea’s government-owned Korea Broadcasting
System (KBS), a professor emeritus of Seoul University and formerly South Korea’s
Ambassador to Finland and Russia. A well-known historian, she received her PhD
degree from Harvard University. To Dr. Lee’s right is Kyung Joo Lee, president of
the Korean American Veterans Association. To Dr. Lee’s left is Mrs. Karen
Cucurullo, acting superintendent of the National Mall, National Parks Service. To
her left is Vice Minister Choi Wan Keun of Korea's Ministry of Patriots and
Veterans Affairs. To Minister Choi’s left is His Excellency Ahn Ho-young, the
Republic of Korea’s Ambassador to the United States. On his left is Honourable
Yonah Martin, Deputy Government Leader of the Canadian Senate. To Senator
Martin’s left is Larry Kinard from Texas, the national chairman of the Korean War
Veterans Association. On President Kinard’s left is Major General Shin KyoungSoo, Defence Attache at the Korean Embassy in Washington. - Photograph taken
and provided by Canadian Veteran Paul Rochon, who was wounded in Korea
serving with the Royal 22e Regiment of Canada
Music was provided by the U.S. Army Band. Flags of 25 UN-allied
nations were carried by the United Nations Honor Guard.
Larry Kinard, national president of the Korean War Veterans
Association, presented heartfelt remarks, expressing at the conclusion
that while it has in recent years been popular to reference the Korean
War as the “forgotten war,” he really disliked that phrase and said that
he personally calls it a “forgotten victory!”
Bob Regan, a singer composer from Nashville, sang a song called “The
Forgotten War” that was written written by Nashville country western
songwriters after they had interviewed a Korean War Veteran about his
experiences and feelings. Mr. Regan was much impressed by President
Kinard’s comments and later added phrasing at the end of the song to
call the war the “forgotten victory.”
Mr. Regan writes songs sung by many of America’s most popular
country western artists.
Canadian Veteran Paul Rochon rings the Spirit of Liberty Bell, following the 20th
anniversary ceremonies at the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The bell was
located close to the speaker’s podium. With him is U.S. Marine Corps Staff
Sergeant Caleb Wiley, a twice wounded veteran of service in Iraq, Africa and two
tours of duty in Afghanistan. The Liberty Bell travels across America with
volunteers from the Spirit of Liberty Foundation, raising funds to provide a
plethora of support services for veterans and those who have fallen in service. Staff
Sergeant Wiley, volunteering his services, unfortunately has an unhealing leg
wound and is scheduled to have the affected leg amputated in October. The Spirit
of Liberty Bell contains steel from the World Trade Towers that were so wickedly
demolished in the underhanded, infamous attacks on America on 9/11, 2001. Photo by Carol Rochon
In addition to the Memorial commemoration ceremony, as well as
convention business, there was a manifold program for all participants.
The KWVA, under management of its executive director, Jim Fisher,
arranged excellent visits to many impressive venues: The White House,
Washington’s Mount Vernon Home, the Botanical Gardens and National
Arboretum and Arlington National Cemetery.
There was a U.S. Army Twilight Tatoo held at Fort Myer, and a U.S.
Marines 8th and I sunset parade at the nearby U.S. Marine Corps
garrison.
Arriving aboard bus at Arlington National Cemetery is Canadian Korean War
Veteran Vince Courtenay and his wife Mak-ye Courtenay. With them is U.S. 8th
Army Veteran George S. Covel from Shushan, New York. George is a national
director of the MPVA. - Photo by Canadian Veteran Paul Rochon
Another Canadian Veteran, Ralph McKay from Spring Hill, Nova Scotia, sits next
to American comrade and his daughter on way to Arlington National Cemetery.
Ralph served in Korea with The Royal Canadian Regiment and spent more than 30
years in service. During that time he spent two years in Washington as the assistant
to the Canadian Defence Attache, Major General Wilson-Smith, a Korean War
Veteran who had commanded the 1st Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian
Light Infantry. Mr. McKay is Grand Chaplain of the Grand Chapter of the Royal
Arch Masons of Nova Scotia. - Photo by Paul Rochon
Most Veterans went to Arlington National Cemetery to witness a wreath
placement by Korea's Representative Kim Moo-sung, who is chairman
of the Saenuri Party, the majority party in the Korean National
Assembly. The Arlington honor guard positioned the wreath and made
the placement.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier contains the remains of Unknowns
from World War One, World War Two and the Korean War. Each of the
Unknowns was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, by Act of
Congress.
Sign points to the venerable Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Strict silence must be
maintained in this area of Arlington National Cemetery. Below, Honor Guard
escort carries the wreath of remembrance and honor from Korea’s Representative
Kim Moo-sung for placement above the tomb - Photos by Paul Rochon.
This year, the names of more than 36,500 American servicemen who fell
in Korean War Service, including more than 8,000 who are still
classified as Missing in Action, were read aloud by veteran volunteers in
a vigil that went around the clock. It began on July 25th and ended at
noon on July 27th.
The reading of the names of the Fallen program was an initiative of
retired U.S. Army Colonel William Weber, the chairman of the Korean
War Veterans Memorial Foundation. Colonel Weber lost an arm and leg
in the Korean War while fighting as a platoon commander. He stayed in
service, and went on to serve in Vietnam.
View of one area in the expansive, venerable grounds at Arlington National
Cemetery. - Photo by Paul Rochon
The KWVA strongly supports Colonel Weber’s greater initiative to
build a Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial,
naming all of those who fell. The initiative, first broached in Congress
several years ago, has received much opposition from various
governmental factions concerned with omissions of names, misspelling,
etc.
Though this noble program has seesawed back and forth in America for
several years – even though the funds would come from private and not
public sources – the Government of the Republic of Korea constructed
such a wall in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan in 2006.
It took only one year to design and construct it.
The Wall of Remembrance in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery
names 40,896 service personnel, both men and women, from 17 UN
allied nations who lost their lives on Korean War Service.
Of the Wall's 140 granite commemorative panels, 119 are dedicated to
the Korean War Fallen from the United States. Those 119 panels name
36,492 Fallen service personnel from the United States Forces, all
arranged state by state and listed alphabetically.
The Wall of Remembrance in Busan does not list the names of Republic
of Korea soldiers or porters who fell in the Korean War, although 36
Republic of Korea soldiers who were attached as augmentation troops to
UN units, are buried in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery.
There was not one word of protest or one move to block the project
when it was submitted and approved by Korea’s National Assembly.
Canada’s Senator Yonah Martin showed Warren Wiedhahn, national vice president
and Washington director of the KWVA a feature of Arlington National Cemetery
he had never seen before, or knew existed. She took Warren and KVA National
President Larry Kinard (right) to the Canadian Monument honouring U.S. citizens
who lost their lives serving in the Canadian armed forces in World War One,
World War Two, and the Korean War. After a hectic flight from Vancouver,
British Columbia, Senator Martin spent two very busy days in Washington, then
left on a 6 a.m. flight to Toronto, where she drove to the Canadian Korean War
Veterans Wall of Remembrance in suburban Brampton for Korean War Veterans
Armistice Day ceremonies. Senator Martin authored the private bill in the
Canadian Senate that resulted in the statute that assigns that designation to July 27
in Canada in perpetuity. She has championed, and still does, a move to observe
July 27 as the Korean War Armistice Day on a global basis, by all of the
participating UN nations.
Canadian
monument in
Arlington National
Cemetery pays
tribute to the many
American service
personnel who
served in Canadian
Forces during the
two World Wars
and the Korean
War, and fell
wearing the
Canadian uniform,
under the Canadian
Flag.
Saenuri Party leader Representative Kim Moo-sung and other members of his party
serving in Korea's National Assembly bend in traditional Korean high respect
stance for all Korean War Veterans buried in Arlington National Cemetery. They
placed their wreath at the grave of General Walton Walker, who commanded the
besieged U.S. 8th Army when better-armed, armor backed North Korean armies
drove his forces down to the Busan Perimeter in the summer of 1950. General
Walker held command defending the Perimeter while additional U.S. Forces and
materiel continued to land at Busan. He then led them in a triumphant push into
North Korea, and when the secreted armies of the Chinese People’s Volunteers
attacked his strung out formations, he commanded the withdrawal of 8th Army
back into South Korea, with terribly heavy loss of life. General Walker was killed
in a jeep accident on December 23, 1950, while en route to present a citation to the
British 27th Brigade for its role in the September breakout offensive from the
Busan Perimeter.
Canadian Veteran Paul Rochon, who was wounded in Korea serving with the
Royal 22e Regiment of Canada and his wife Carol share a moment in their hotel’s
lobby with a famous veteran of three wars, Peter “Rupy” Ruplenas, of West
Virginia. Peter recently published another book called "Two Cameras, Three
Wars." It graphically covers his adventures through three wars: World War Two,
the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He served as a combat photographer with
the U.S. Army and was involved in many of the famous, historical battles and
campaigns. Paul Rochon, following his service in Korea, served with the United
Nations for a number of years at its New York City headquarters. He also was
assigned to several other countries on United Nations business.
Representative Kim Moo-sung (left) and His Excellency Ahn Ho-young, the
Republic of Korea's Ambassador to the United States, applaud Korean War
Veterans at a banquet sponsored by Korea's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans
Affairs. Election polls in Korea currently show that if Kim should decide to run for
the Presidential office, he is far ahead of possible contenders in popularity. Lee has
told reporters he has made no decision about seeking the office and stresses that he
is doing his utmost to support the programs of President Park Geun-hye, whose is
in her third year of a five-term in office and under Korean law cannot be reelected
for a subsequent term. While in Washington Representative Kim also held
meetings with Nancy Pelosi, minority House Speaker in the U.S. House of
Representatives and with Senator John McCain, now in his fifth term and
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also serves on the Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. Kim urged both the
Congress and the Senate to press Japan into formally presenting an apology for the
abuse of Korean women during World War Two. He also urged the U.S. to move
forward with South Korea in a strong bipartisan initiative to curb North Korea’s
nuclear weapons development program, although he did not provide specific on
how the two nations could go about it.
Canada’s Senator Yonah Martin, deputy government leader of the Canadian Senate
(white tunic) and Korean Assemblyman Kim Jung Hoon pose with students who
won scholarships provided by a memorial foundation established in the U.S. by
Representative Kim. The scholarships, which provide $2,000 in funding, were the
first presented under the new program. He and Senator Martin have collaborated in
plans to bring a similar scholarship program to Canada. Initially a pilot program is
being conducted in the Province of Ontario.
A final photo shows two veterans closely linked in spirit. Korean War Veteran
Paul Rochon from Canada shares a special moment at the veterans banquet dinner
with 96-year old Peter “Rupy” Ruplenas of West Virginia, a U.S. Army
photographer in World War Two, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The
banquet was sponsored by Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Paul
said that he was privileged to meet Peter Ruplenas and would always treasure the
memory of spending time with him in Washington. Peter is wearing the Ministry
of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Peace Ambassador medal. No more needs to be
said.