[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 122 (Wednesday, July 26, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H7796-H7799]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  2320
                   THE KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL UNVEILING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kim). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of May 12, 1995, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon] is 
recognized for one-half of the time remaining before midnight as the 
designee of the majority leader.


                             general leave

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on the subject of my special order tonight.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, let me call attention to the Members that 
the acting Speaker in the chair is a United States citizen, and he is a 
native of Korea, and we are very proud of him, and this is the subject 
of this special order this evening, the country of Korea, the brave 
Korean people.
  Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII, 
a devastating war that brought an end to the inhumane expansionist 
regimes of Germany and Japan.
  And tomorrow July 27 marks the 42d anniversary of the end of another 
war--the forgotten war of Korea.
  Well, Mr. Speaker, finally after all these years the Korean war--the 
war that stopped the spread of deadly atheistic communism dead in its 
tracks--will no longer be a forgotten war--because tomorrow we will 
unveil one of the finest memorials ever dedicated to young men and 
women who lost their lives in service to this great country of ours.
  Mr. Speaker, the Korean war was the first battlefield test of our 
resolve against communism.
  And make no mistake about it--we won that war.
  We stopped the spread of deadly, atheistic communism dead in its 
tracks.
  Up until then, communism had appeared invincible.
  It had gobbled up half of Europe and seemed everywhere on the march.
  Mr. Speaker, it's about time to rewrite all those textbooks that say 
the Korean war ended in a draw.
  Our show of toughness in Korea--for the first time--showed the 
Communists that we were not going to let them expand their empire 
throughout the world.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States showed them we were willing to pay the 
price, and a terrible price it was with over 54,000 dead, and 103,000 
wounded, 7,000 taken prisoner of war, and 8,000-plus still listed as 
missing in action, all that in just 3 short years, and so I would 
suggest, my colleagues, that the Berlin Wall may have fallen in 1989, 
but the first cracks appeared in 1953, far away in a place called 
Korea.
  And yes, Korea was the most brutal war in our history.
  A lot of it was fought in 30-below winters by outnumbered American 
troops--many of them green and untried--because America was not 
militarily prepared.
  The communists nearly drove our troops off the Korean Peninsula, but 
they were halted at the Pusan perimeter, and 5 days later allied forces 
launched the last great amphibious landing in history at Inchon.
  The U.S. Army and Marines drove them all the way back to the Yalu 
River.
  And the war was almost over, until the Chinese communists came 
swarming across the border, outnumbering allied forces by more than 10 
to 1, trapping thousands of American Marines behind enemy lines.
  And thus began one of the bravest battles ever fought by American 
troops anywhere in the world.
  The full weight of the veteran 100,000-man communist Chinese Army 
came crushing down on a sorely outnumbered 7th, 5th, and 1st Marine 
Regiments.
  One of these 21-year-old Marines was my high school pal Lance 
Corporal Stephen Olmstead, who 30 years later would attain the rank of 
lieutenant general, recanted many times how the Chinese attacked during 
the night in temperatures approaching 30 degrees below zero, cutting 
the main supply routes, and isolating the Marines into four close 
perimeters.
  Although the vastly outnumbered marines held their ground, the 
situation was grave.
  And on 1 December 1950, General O.P. Smith ordered a breakout from 
the reservoir, which he termed an ``attack in a different direction.''
  Supported by the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, which flew nearly 4,000 
sorties during the entire operation, the 1st Marine Division blasted 
its way through seven Chinese divisions to reach safety at Hungnam by 
12 December--eleven days and nights in blinding snow--over near 
impassable, frozen, mountainous terrain.
  Mr. Speaker, the Chosin Reservoir campaign cost the marines over 
4,400 battle casualties, including killed and wounded, and uncounted 
cases of frostbite and pneumonia, but the Chinese forces had suffered a 
catastrophic 25,000 dead.
  Yes, the 1st Marine Division fought its way out of that trap at 
Chosin Reservoir, bringing their wounded with them, and writing one of 
the most glorious chapters in Marine Corps history.
  And as General Olmstead told me:

       It was in a spirit of prayerful thanksgiving that Americans 
     read about the column of grimy, parka-clad marines who came 
     out of the mountains of Northeast Korea on 11 December 1950.
       They had come out fighting; they were numbingly cold and 
     bone weary.
       They had brought out with them their wounded, most of their 
     dead, and most of their equipment. They were the chosen few.

  Mr. Speaker, during the Korean war, I spent my time with the 2nd 
Marine Division and never saw combat with those brave Marines at Chosin 
Reservoir, but those acts of heroism personify the history of our 
beloved corps.
  Mr. Speaker, tomorrow at 3 p.m., and we are going to roll votes from 
2 to 4 so Members of Congress can attend tomorrow at 3 p.m., along with 
veterans from all branches of our military, we will gather at the first 
unveiling of the Korean War Memorial in remembrance of those who served 
in a war called Korea that is no longer forgotten.
                              {time}  2330

  Mr. Speaker, I yield to someone I am very proud of. He is a brand new 
Member of this Congress. I came here 17 years ago, but now, 17 years 
later, joining me is another former Marine, and he happened to go 
through boot camp, Parris Island with me, 17 years ago. Never in this 
world I thought there would be another one here in Congress, but there 
is, and his name is Fred Heineman from Raleigh, NC.
  Corporal, would you like to get up and say a few words?
  Mr. HEINEMAN. Thank you, Jerry.
  Mr. Speaker, ``First to Fight'' has always been a proud tradition of 
the U.S. Marine Corps. As we pause during this week of commemoration 
and reflection to recall the early, critical weeks of the Korean War, I 
am proud to recall the outstanding performance of our Marine Corps in 
taking the fight to the enemy and recapturing the South Korean capital 
city of Seoul.
  After the successful amphibious assault on Inchon in mid-September 
1950, the 1st Marine Division maintained their unremitting pressure on 
the North Koreans, forcing them into a contest for the South Korean 
capital. 

[[Page H7797]]
While the 1st Marines attacked the western suburb of Youngdungpo, the 
5th Marines swung to the northeast, captured Kimpo airfield and crossed 
the Han River in amphibian tractors. Joined by the 1st Marines on the 
right flank, the 5th Marines then drove south into Seoul with the 
recently arrived 7th Marines on the left. Seoul was recaptured after 
another week of bitter street fighting. Marines methodically eliminated 
pockets of stubborn enemy resistance, tanks clashed in the streets, and 
entire neighborhoods were demolished in the intense conflict.
  The 1st Marine Division, having taken Seoul, re-embarked for the 
opposite coast of Korea to interdict elements of the retreating North 
Korean People's Army. Before the Marines could land at the eastern port 
city of Wonsan, however, Communist forces had evacuated the area. From 
Wonsan, the 1st Marine Division fanned out south and west, engaging the 
retreating North Koreans in a series of sharp fights, and then headed 
north towards the Chosin Reservoir.
  Yes, the gentleman from New York so capably gave a profile of the 
early stages of the Korean war, and he did reveal to this Congress that 
44 years ago he and I shared an experience in South Carolina, a place 
called Parris Island, serving in the same platoon, Platoon 168, from 
February 16, 1951, to April 6, 1951. And I am just as proud to have 
served with him then as I am to serve with him in this body today. I am 
proud to have been a Marine. I am proud to have been, and I am proud to 
be today, a Member of this Congress.
  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Fred, thank you, and thank you for being here in the 
Congress standing up for America once again.
  Mr. Speaker, let me yield to another freshman Member. He is an 
outstanding Member, he replaced a very close friend of mine in this 
body, and his name is Wes Cooley from Alfalfa, OR. He is a veteran of 
the U.S. Air Force and a veteran of the Korean war.
  Wes, it is good to have you with us.
  Mr. COOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I always think of Korea, when I say that, is 
that I had a hard time for many, many years, because we used to call 
this a police action, if you remember. That was the term used many, 
many years after we served in this conflict.
  This police action, performed by the United Nations, stopped 
communism, but it cost a lot of American lives. As the previous speaker 
has spoken, we lost over 54,000 young Americans in three years of 
combat. Compare that to 10 years in Vietnam when we only lost 58,000, 
4,000 more. This was one of the most bloody conflicts that America has 
ever participated in, other than the Civil War.
  It was a foreign war, and I am glad to see we are being recognized as 
a war now. It has been 42 years since the end of this conflict, and 
tomorrow we are going to celebrate a memorial to those 54,000 heroes 
that died in Korea.
  This is a living memorial, as people will see when they come to 
Washington to see the Korean Memorial. It is not a tombstone, it is a 
memorial, and I am very proud to be here in Congress and to participate 
in tomorrow's ceremonies in announcing an opening of the Korean 
Memorial.
  Thank you very much.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Wes, we sure thank you.
  Mr. Speaker, on the other side of the aisle is another very good 
friend of ours, a second termer. He is Paul McHale from Bethlehem, PA, 
another good Marine who has a total of 23 years active and reserve 
duty.
  Paul, it is good to have you with us this evening.
  Mr. McHALE. Thank you very much, Jerry. Mr. Speaker, I would like to 
read something that I read many years ago for the first time. It 
touched me deeply then and I hope it affects you today.

                        commiskey, henry a., sr.

       Rank and Organization: First Lieutenant (then 2d Lt.), U.S. 
     Marine Corps, Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st 
     Marine Division (Rein). Place and date: Near Yongdungp'o, 
     Korea, 20 September 1950, Entered service at: Hattiesburg, 
     Miss. Birth: 10 January 1927, Hattiesburg, Miss. Citation: 
     For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his 
     life above and beyond the call to duty while serving as a 
     platoon leader in Company C, in action against enemy 
     aggressor forces. Directed to attack hostile forces well dug 
     in on Hill 85, 1st Lt. Commiskey, spearheaded the assault, 
     charging up the steep slopes on the run. Coolly disregarding 
     the heavy enemy machinegun and small-arms fire, he plunged on 
     well forward of the rest of his platoon and was the first man 
     to reach the crest of the objective. Armed only with a 
     pistol, he jumped into a hostile machinegun emplacement 
     occupied by 5 enemy troops and quickly disposed of 4 of the 
     soldiers with his automatic pistol. Grappling with the fifth, 
     1st Lt. Commiskey knocked him to the ground and held him 
     until he could obtain a weapon from another member of his 
     platoon and killed the last of the enemy gun-crew. Continuing 
     his bold assault, he moved to the next emplacement, killed 2 
     more of the enemy and then led his platoon toward the rear 
     nose of the hill to rout the remainder of the hostile troops 
     and destroy them as they fled from their position. His 
     valiant leadership and courageous fighting spirit served to 
     inspire the men of his company to heroic endeavor in seizing 
     the objective and reflect the highest credit upon 1st Lt. 
     Commiskey and the U.S. Naval Service.

  Mr. Speaker, I quoted that Medal of Honor citation for two reasons. 
First of all, it demonstrates dramatically the courage and tenacity 
with which our Marines fought in Korea during the early days of that 
war. I quoted it also for a more personal reason: 22 years after the 
Medal of Honor was earned, Henry A. Commiskey, Jr., was commissioned 
with me at Quantico, VA, served with me at Quantico and later in 
Okinawa with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, and 19 years after that, 
Henry A. Commiskey Jr., the son of this brave man, served with me in 
the Gulf war. Skeeter, I hope you are listening.
  Mr. Speaker, as we continue this week to commemorate and to honor the 
service of our 5.7 million Korean War veterans, it is well to reflect 
upon some of the key campaigns in and operations of the bitter 
conflict. My good friend and fellow Marine, Jerry, spoke to you a few 
moments ago of the Chosin Reservoir. I would like to speak of a history 
of the Punchbowl.
  In late April, 1951, communist forces launched a massive 
counterattack which left a gaping hole in the United Nations lines. 
Elements of the 1st Marine Division were flung into action and were 
soon joined by the British Commonwealth 27th brigade. The enemy was 
contained after 5 days of hard fighting and finally the front lines 
stabilized.
  In mid-May, 1951, the Chinese opened the second phase of their spring 
offensive and made brief gains into the U.N. lines. Valiant fighting by 
Marine and Army units helped to stabilize the situation and by the end 
of the month, the enemy offensive had run out of steam. The 1st Marine 
Division, located at Hwachon Reservoir, occupied the ridge line 
overlooking a deep circular valley, aptly nicknamed the Punchbowl. 
Truce negotiations now began and U.N. forces settled down into a 
defensive position. The communists, however, were simply buying time to 
rebuild their forces.
  In September 1951, hostilities resumed in earnest and the Marines 
found themselves back on the attack in the mountainous Punchbowl area. 
Soon thereafter U.N. forces halted offensive operations in the hope 
that renewed negotiations would bring an end to the fighting.
  By early 1952, the Marines had moved to the western Korean front, 
where they assumed a defensive posture that would continue until the 
close of the war.
  As negotiations dragged on, the 1st Marine Division protected and 
consolidated U.N. gains by conducting patrol operations and engaging in 
several tough trench warfare actions in western Korea.
                              {time}  2340

  In mid-August 1952, there was hard fighting at the Bunker Hill 
outpost, and in October there was a fight for the ``Hook.'' In the 
spring of 1953, Marines engaged enemy forces in particularly bitter 
clashes for possession of outposts with names such as ``Reno,'' 
``Vegas,'' and ``Carson City'' in the so-called ``Nevada Cities'' 
campaign.
  An armistice ending the fighting across all fronts in Korea was 
finally argued out at Panmunjom, and went into effect at 2200, 27 July 
1953. After the cease-fire, Marines were called upon to assume a 
defensive posture along the Demilitarized Zone should any further 
hostilities occur. They remained in Korea until 1955 when the 1st 
Marine Division returned to Camp Pendleton, California.

[[Page H7798]]

  Mr. Speaker, as we have learned this week, and most eloquently from 
the gentleman from New York Jerry Solomon, a few minutes ago, there was 
an extraordinary price that was paid in stemming the tide of aggression 
in Korea. The Marine Corps, a service that is beloved by all Americans 
and particularly by those who speak to you this evening, lost over 
4,500 of our finest men killed in action, and over 26,000 United States 
Marines were wounded. The American people had ample cause to be proud 
of their Marine Corps in this war, as in so many others, as they 
advanced the cause of freedom in the Republic of Korea.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Well, Paul, thank you very, very much for those eloquent 
remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, let me now yield to our last speaker this evening, which 
would be my good friend, another freshman Member of this body that we 
can be so proud of, the gentleman from Abington, Pennsylvania, Jon Fox, 
a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kim). If the gentleman would suspend, 
the Chair wants to make one statement. There being no present designee 
of the minority leader, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon] may 
continue for the balance of the time remaining before midnight.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield to the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania, Jon Fox.
  Mr. FOX. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. Speaker, all Members of Congress, from both Houses and both sides 
of the aisle join together tonight in salute to our proud Veterans of 
the Korean war.
  I want to give special thanks to the patriots who have spoken before 
me and given much more than I have, people like Jerry Solomon, Fred 
Heineman, Wes Cooley, and Paul McHale. These gentlemen have given much 
to our country, along with the other veterans who have done so much, 
and I hope that those who hear about the Korean Memorial that will be 
unveiled tomorrow will be an inspiration to those who wish to serve 
this country and have served this country to continue making sure that 
this country will remain vigilant to any aggression against the United 
States.
  The Korean war, Mr. Speaker, was the first multinational military 
action in the history of the United Nations. It helped stop the spread 
of communism aggression in the Pacific Rim and contributed, Mr. 
Speaker, to the eventual demise of communism in Europe.
  On June 25, 1950, the North Korean Army, which was organized and 
equipped by the Soviet Union, lunged across the 38th Parallel, the 
demarcation line established between North and South Korea at the end 
of World War II, and attacked South Korea.
  President Truman responded immediately by committing U.S. forces to 
the defense of South Korea. Simultaneously, the United Nations Security 
Council called upon member nations to do the same, and a multinational 
force consisting of 22 nations formed to face the crisis.
  The North Korean Offensive drove defenders to the southeast corner of 
the Korean Peninsula. There, the Pusan perimeter was established and, 
reinforced by American divisions, held despite bitter battles.
  The outstanding work and the service of the Marine Corps as outlined 
by the prior speakers is well documented and it is a shining example 
for all to follow. The heroic defense was made possible by a 
brilliantly conceived amphibious landing at Inchon which enveloped the 
overextended North Korean army and recaptured the capital city of 
Seoul. Approximately 1,500,000 U.S. military personnel served in Korea 
out of a Total Korean war-era U.S. Worldwide military force of more 
than 5.7 million. More than 54,000 U.S. military service personnel died 
around the world during the Korean war era. The Republic of Korea lost 
more than 225,000 men in combat during that time. Some 22 nations 
supplied personnel for the U.N. force in Korea.
  Mr. Speaker, the Korean War Veterans Memorial in the Nation's capital 
pays tribute to all those who served in the Korean war and the American 
spirit of service to one's country. It honors the patriotism, Mr. 
Speaker, of millions of brave men and women throughout the history of 
the United States who have responded to the call of duty, and it 
expresses the Nation's gratitude to those willing to make extreme 
sacrifices to the cause of freedom.
  Tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the Korean memorial the wreath laying ceremony 
will take place in salute of our Korean war Veterans, and as Jerry 
Solomon said, the forgotten war and the forgotten Veterans will no 
longer be forgotten because of a grateful Nation. We will salute the 
veterans tomorrow and salute them every day forward. I thank these 
Marines who allowed me to join with them tonight, because a grateful 
Congress is very appreciative and will forever remember your 
contributions.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Jon, thank you very, very much for those very, very fine 
words, and we will see you at the Korean war memorial tomorrow at 3 
p.m.
  Mr. Speaker, let me yield one more time to our very good friend from 
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Paul McHale.
  Mr. McHALE. Jerry, I thank you very much.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing my remarks, I would like to quote from an 
extremely well written newspaper article written by Joe Wheelan of the 
Associated Press as it appeared yesterday in the Washington Times. It 
supplements and complements the remarks made earlier by my good friend 
and colleague Jerry Solomon in describing the ferocious combat that 
took place at the
 Chosin Reservoir. It, I think, captures the spirit of the courage of 
those brave Marines.

       Quoting from Joe Wheelan:

       The Chosin Reservoir. Frozen Chosin. Where the 1st Marine 
     Division fought for 14 days in 30-below-zero temperatures 
     against 120,000 Chinese.
       The 16,000 Marines and 4,000 Army, British Royal Marines 
     and South Korean troops broke out of the deadly Chinese trap 
     between Nov. 27 and Dec. 11, 1950. They killed more than 
     40,000 Chinese while losing nearly 1,700 dead and 5,000 
     wounded.
       Few battles have been waged under worse conditions. A one-
     lane dirt road through icy mountains was the only link to 
     seaports 78 miles away. The brittle cold froze blood from 
     wounds before it coagulated and turned guns, tanks, jeeps and 
     food into blocks of ice. Stiffened corpses were stacked like 
     cordwood.
       ``There were so many Chinese we used their frozen bodies 
     for barricades, like sandbags,'' said Win Scott, who was a 
     Marine private and now heads the Chosin Few veterans 
     organization from Waynesville, N.C.
       The 4,800-member association has expanded awareness of the 
     largely forgotten battle. Chosin Few members will join other 
     Korean War veterans for the dedication of the memorial, 
     across the Reflecting Pool from the Vietnam Veterans 
     Memorial.
       The monument is a tribute to the 54,246 Americans killed in 
     Korea in the 1950-53 war.
       At Chosin, more medals were awarded than for any modern 
     battle--17 Medals of Honor and 70 Navy Crosses.

  Mr. Speaker, not long ago I had an opportunity to spend some time 
with the former commandant of the Marine Corps PX Kelly, an 
extraordinary Marine and a very brave man. In late 1983, shortly after 
the BLT headquarters was blown up in Beirut, then commandant PX Kelly 
visited a badly wounded and blinded Marine in a German hospital. As the 
commandant of the Marine Corps approached the side of the wounded 
Marine, and the Marine was informed that it was indeed the commandant 
approaching, he attempted to come to the position of attention. 
Overcome, appropriately, with emotion, that commandant of the Marine 
Corps uttered a phrase that will live in Marine Corps history, ``Oh 
Lord, where do we find men such as these?''
  Since November 10, 1775, our Nation has found it in the United States 
Marine Corps.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Paul, again, thank you. Thank you so much for 
participating in this special order along with Fred Heineman, Wes 
Cooley, and Jon Fox, and let me just say that you mentioned the former 
commandant PX Kelly, and we are going to have the privilege of having 
him up in the Adirondack Mountains with me during the August break. 
Maybe I should not say this on the floor of this Congress, but he was 
one hell of a Marine.
  Let me just close, Mr. Speaker, because we are running out of time, 
and because we were limited tonight because of the late session, and 
under House rules we cannot go beyond a certain time. That is why I 
asked general leave that Members have 5 legislative days to revise and 
extend their remarks and for those that could not participate because 
of the lack of time here this evening. Let me just emphasize one more 
time, and, Paul, you brought it out so vividly, but during 

[[Page H7799]]

the Vietnam war, which lasted more than a decade. The losses during the 
Vietnam War, which are still vivid in many Americans' minds but many 
cannot remember that far back to the Korean War 42 years ago, the very 
fact that the losses sustained in the Korean War during just three 
short years were almost identical to those of the Vietnam War over a 
period that took three and four times longer.

                                  2350

  That is just how ferocious it was and just how difficult it was for 
our young men and women serving in Korea at that time.
  So let me just call attention one more time to say that tomorrow the 
Speaker has agreed not to have votes on the floor of this Congress 
between the hours of 2 and 4. We will have a bus leaving for Members of 
Congress to join several hundred thousand veterans and their families 
and their friends who will be at this finest of memorials to the Korean 
War, which will once and for all set to rest the forgotten war attitude 
of so many people. It no longer will be forgotten, thanks to that 
wonderful memorial.
  I just invite everybody to go see it. It is so inspiring.
  Mr. Speaker, with that, I thank everyone for participating in this 
special order.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, war in Korea lasted 3 years. Yet, for 
most Americans, the Korean war remains a hazy event at best, lost 
between the magnitude of World War II and the upheaval of Vietnam. For 
many Americans, the conflict is best known because of the popular movie 
and television series ``M*A*S*H.''
  The Korean war erupted on June 25, 1950, when 135,000 North Korea 
troops, spearheaded by 200 Russian-built tanks and planes, poured 
across the 38th parallel, crushing South Korean defenses. Three days 
later, President Truman ordered United States forces to defend South 
Korea.
  Prompted by the action of the United States, the United Nations 
condemned the act of aggression. For the first time in its history, the 
United Nations created a United Nations Command, with the United States 
as its acting executive agent, to repel the attack of communist North 
Korea. In addition to the United States and South Korea, 20 other 
nations provided military contingents which served under the United 
Nations banner.
  The fighting raged on for more than 3 years. Yet, the war received 
little attention back home. Active hostilities ended with an armistice 
on July 27, 1953.
  During the war, 54,000 Americans died, including more than 34,000 on 
the battlefield. In addition, more than 103,000 Americans were wounded 
and some 8,000 are still missing or unaccounted for.
  Despite their courage and sacrifice, the soldiers returning from 
Korea were not met with a hero's welcome. Instead, Korean veterans just 
blended back into the mainstream of American society. Their entitlement 
to national recognition is as valid today as ever. The time has come 
for the soldiers who stopped communist aggression in Northeast Asia to 
receive their proper place in history.
  More than 5.7 million American servicemen and women were involved--
directly or indirectly--in the Korean war. As a Korean era veteran, I 
am pleased that the Korean War Memorial is being dedicated on Thursday, 
July 27, 1995--the 42d anniversary of the armistice ending the war.
  I believe it is fitting that we pay special tribute to the men and 
women who served during the Korean war. When the time came for courage 
and sacrifice, their generation stepped forward to serve their country. 
They left a peaceful civilian life for an uncertain future in uniform; 
they gave up the comforts of home for the horrors of the battlefield.
  Regrettably, the 54,000 Americans who died in the cold of Korea 
fighting communism didn't live to see the fruits of their sacrifice, 
not only for Americans, but for hundreds of millions in Poland, 
Czechoslovakia, Hungary--even in the Republics of the former Soviet 
Union.
  If only these heroes could be with us today to see the changes that 
have swept the globe because of what they did. The Berlin all has been 
reduced to a chunk of concrete on display at the Ronald Reagan Library 
in California and Leningrad once again is St. Petersburg. Incredibly, 
if they could travel to Moscow, they would be amazed to see more people 
standing in line to get a hamburger at McDonald's than used to visit 
Lenin's tomb.
  Throughout history, America's veterans have served and served well. 
They saw democracy challenged and they defended it. They say 
civilization threatened and they rescued it. They say our rights 
endangered and they sought to restore them.
  America can never fully repay these veterans, and we will never be 
able to express our feelings to our fallen soldiers. But we must never 
forget how blessed we are in the modern world to live in a free 
society, nor forget the sacrifices of our friends, relatives, neighbors 
and countrymen who served us all when duty called.


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