[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 120 (Thursday, September 5, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1521-E1522]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    A TRIBUTE TO THE KOREAN WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF LONG ISLAND

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 5, 1996

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Korean 
War Veterans Association of Long Island, an organization dedicated to 
honoring the dedicated courage and selfless sacrifices of America's war 
veterans during the Korean conflict.
  History has sometimes chosen to shine a less prominent light on the 
Korean war, but the sacrifices and heroic efforts of its veterans were 
just as important as those made in America's other conflicts. Because 
of the Korean War Veterans Association [KWVA], their sacrifices are 
recognized and honored more than ever before. Korean war veterans stand 
tall among all veterans, proud of all they have done to keep Democracy 
strong.
  This Sunday, September 8, 1996, the central Long Island chapter will 
honor those who lost their lives during the Korean conflict when it 
dedicates a commemorative stone bearing the KWVA's logo during a 
ceremony at Calverton National Cemetery. Thousands of veterans and 
their families will be on hand to support the Central Long Island 
Chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association.
  The Central Long Island Chapter of the KWVA was founded in 1989 by 
Bob Morga, to raise funds for a national monument in Washington, DC, 
which was dedicated on July 27, 1995. Central Long Island chapter 
members also worked to build a war memorial on Long Island, which was 
dedicated in June of 1992 at the Armed Forces Plaza in Hauppauge. Among 
those who helped make the Long Island memorial a reality was the late 
Suffolk County Legislator Rose Caracappa, whose tireless efforts 
inspired the Korean War Veterans Association to make her an honorary 
member.

[[Page E1522]]

  While their focus was on creating these monuments, Long Island's 
Korean war veterans have discovered a purpose of equal importance. They 
have created a place for Korean war vets to build a fellowship among 
themselves and their families. Along with marching in veterans' parades 
and attending memorial ceremonies, the KWVA is actively involved in 
assisting disabled and needy veterans, including those at the veterans 
hospital in Northport. Each Christmas chapter members visit the Long 
Island Veterans Nursing Home in Stony Brook to deliver holiday gifts 
and good cheer.
  We enjoy the plentiful fruits of democracy and should always remember 
that our freedom was paid for with their blood. The Korean War Veterans 
Association says it best in their September newsletter: ``A free 
America is the most precious gift we can bestow upon our children. 
Freedom is not free.'' I ask all of my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to join me in saluting the Korean War Veterans 
Association and all of its members, for all they do for our veterans 
and for all they've done for America.

                          ____________________