[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 20, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S5451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING KOREAN WAR VETERANS

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, this weekend we will commemorate an 
important day in American history. June 25th, the 50th anniversary of 
the start of the Korean War, will provide all Americans the opportunity 
to pause and remember the men and women who fought and died in the 
Korean War.
  Some historians refer to the Korean War as the ``forgotten war.'' 
Perhaps the reason the Korean War has receded in our memories is 
because it was unlike either the war that preceded it or the war that 
followed it. Rationing brought World War II into every American home. 
And television brought the Vietnam War into every home with 
unforgettable images and daily updates.
  But Korea was different. Except for those who actually fought there, 
Korea was a distant land and eventually, a distant memory. Today, as we 
remember those who served in Korea, it is fitting that we remember what 
happened in Korea, and why we fought there.
  The wall of the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, bears 
an inscription that reads, ``Freedom is not free.'' And in the case of 
South Korea, the price of repelling communist aggression and preserving 
freedom was very high indeed. Nearly one-and-a-half million Americans 
fought to prevent the spread of communism into South Korea. It was the 
bloodiest armed conflict in which our nation has ever engaged. In three 
years, 54,246 Americans died in Korea--nearly as many as were killed 
during the 15 years of the Vietnam War.
  The nobility of their sacrifice is now recorded for all of history in 
the Korean War Veterans Memorial. As you walk through the memorial and 
look into the faces of the 19 soldier-statues, you can feel the danger 
surrounding them. But you can also feel the courage with which our 
troops confronted that danger. It is a fitting tribute, indeed, to the 
sacrifices of those who fought and died in Korea.
  But there is also another tribute half a world away. And that is 
democracy in the Republic of South Korea. Over the last five decades, 
the special relationship between our two nations that was forged in war 
has grown into a genuine partnership. Our two nations are more 
prosperous, and the world is safer, because of it.
  The historic summit in North Korea earlier this month offers new hope 
for a reduction in tensions and enhanced stability in the region. We 
can dream of a day when Korea is unified under a democratic government 
and freedom is allowed to thrive.
  As we continue to move forward, however, we pause today to remember 
how the free world won an important battle in the struggle against 
communism in South Korea. Let us not forget that it is the 
responsibility of all those who value freedom to remember that struggle 
and to honor those who fought it. The enormous sacrifices they made for 
our country should never be forgotten.

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