[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 38 (Thursday, March 30, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E447]]



      PITTSBURGH COMMITTEE FOR THE COMMEMORATION OF THE KOREAN WAR

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. WILLIAM J. COYNE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 29, 2000

  Mr. COYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to let my colleagues know about 
some very important activities that will be taking place in my 
congressional district in the coming months to commemorate the 50th 
anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War.
  The Korean War lasted three years. Nearly 6 million Americans served 
in the armed forces during that period, and more than 54,000 Americans 
died defending South Korea from North Korean and Chinese invaders. The 
Korean War dramatically shaped the post-World War II world and strongly 
influenced the course of the Cold War. And yet, the Korean War is often 
referred to as the ``forgotten war'' because so much of our attention 
today is focused on World War II and the Vietnam War. Such an oversight 
is unacceptable. The Americans who fought--and especially those who 
died--in the cause of freedom deserve to be remembered. Moreover, they 
deserve our undying gratitude for their heroic sacrifice. As the 
Pittsburgh Committee for the Commemoration of the Korean War has 
observed, no sacrifice made by American service men and women should 
ever be ``forgotten.''
  Pittsburgh has not forgotten these brave men and women. In fact, 
Pittsburgh's links to this conflict are quite strong. More than 26,000 
Korean War veterans live in Allegheny County, and General Matthew B. 
Ridgway, commander of the U.S. 8th Army in Korea during a critical 
period of the war, was a Pittsburgh native. A Korean War memorial has 
been built on Pittsburgh's North Side to recognize our Korean War 
veterans' sacrifice, and the Matthew B. Ridgway Center for 
International Security Studies has been established at the University 
of Pittsburgh.
  The 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War provides an 
outstanding opportunity for remembering and acknowledging the heroes of 
the ``forgotten war.'' With that end in mind, the Pittsburgh Committee 
for the Commemoration of the Korean War has organized more than two 
months of events to educate the public about this important conflict 
and to honor the Americans who served in this bloody conflict. These 
events include visits to local high schools, academic conferences on 
the conflict, and flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies.
  On June 24, a day-long commemorative event will be held at the 
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Military Museum in Pittsburgh. 
This event, Pittsburgh Remembers Day, will include 1950s music and a 
number of historic displays. It will conclude with the Matthew B. 
Ridgway Memorial Dinner and a free concert of patriotic music performed 
by the River City Brass Band. Finally, on the Fourth of July, 
Pittsburgh's Fourth of July Ceremony at Point Park will include a 
special salute to Korean War Veterans.
  America's veterans have earned our country's gratitude and respect 
time and time again. It is fitting that on the 50th anniversary of the 
beginning of the Korean War, we pay special attention to the sacrifices 
made by the men and women who served their country in the ``forgotten 
war.'' I commend the Pittsburgh Committee for the Commemoration of the 
Korean War for all of its endeavors in this important cause.

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