On Monday, July 22, the Metropolitan King County Council sponsored a recognition ceremony commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. There were some 15 Korean War Veterans in attendance, representing the more than 55,000 Korean War veterans in Washington State.
Included were Post 8870 members Jim Adams and Jim Blossey. Chaplain Rock Roth, a Viet Nam veteran, was also in attendance. Blossey was one of four Korean War vets singled out to receive a medal from Korean Consul Song Young Wan, proclaiming them “Ambassadors for Peace.”
Sponsoring King County councilmember Rod Dembowski said, “Although the war is often referred to as the “Forgotten War,” the impact of the service of the men and women who fought is felt throughout [our area]. In part, thanks to these brave men and women’s service, [we are] now home to a thriving Korean American population.”
We have a number of members in addition to Jim who are veterans of the Korean War. At the next meeting, please take the time to thank those veterans for their service. They call the Korean War “The Forgotten War” but it is neither forgotten by those whose served there or by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) who seeks to recover the remains of the 8,177 service members missing in action there and where it is believed that 2,000 soldiers are buried in the Korean Demilitarized Zone alone. Even though the Armistice was signed 60 years ago, this war won’t end until we recover our dead and insure that the North Koreans are no longer a threat to South Korea or the US.