[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 103 (Thursday, July 25, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S7369]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  WE SHALL NOT FORGET: KOREA 1950-1953

  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Madam President, I rise on this day to commemorate 
the end of the Korean War, an often overlooked, yet very important 
event in history. ``Forgotten'' is a term used too often about the 
Korean War; for veterans and their families, the war is very real, and 
something they can never forget.
  Officially, the war was the first military effort of the United 
Nations, but American involvement was dominant throughout the conflict. 
Thousands of Americans were shipped off to that distant land, joining 
with other soldiers from other allied nations, to help defend the 
rights of strangers against a hostile and merciless invasion. 
Unfortunately, many who fought bravely to aid the Koreans lost their 
lives while waging the war.
  Today, I want to pay homage to all who served in this war. The troops 
from the United States and the 20 other United Nations countries who 
provided aid to the South Koreans deserve our great acclaim every day, 
but even more so on this special anniversary. These great countries 
united to preserve the rights of South Korea, a small democracy 
threatened by the overwhelming power of the Communist government. South 
Korea did not have sufficient military resources to protect its 
interests. Fortunately, the United Nations member countries were 
unwilling to sit back and watch North Korea, with the aid of China and 
the Soviet Union, drive democracy from the continent of Asia.
  On June 25, 1950, troops from Communist-ruled North Korea invaded 
South Korea, meeting little resistance to their attack. A few days 
later, on the morning of July 5th--still Independence Day in the United 
States, Private Kenny Shadrick of Skin Fork, WV, became the war's first 
American casualty. Kenny was the first, but many more West Virginians 
were destined to die in the conflict , in fact, more West Virginians 
were killed in combat during the three years of the Korean War than 
during the 10 years that we fought in Vietnam.
  At the end of the Korean War, a U.S. casualty report confirmed 36,940 
battle deaths. An additional 103,284 servicemembers were wounded in 
battle. More than 8,000 Americans are still missing in action and 
unaccounted. How can we possibly call one of the bloodiest wars in 
history a ``forgotten war?'' Are those who served in Korea ``forgotten 
soldiers?''
  Make no mistake, those who fought in Korea will never be forgotten. 
They serve as examples of true Americans, and the debt we owe to our 
Korean War veterans, like the veterans of all other wars, is 
immeasurable. Unfortunately, these soldiers, like the Vietnam veterans 
who followed, received no parade when they returned home. They quietly 
went back to the lives they left and blended into their communities, 
unsung heroes of a faraway war.
  Six years ago, we dedicated the Korean War Memorial. This stirring 
tribute to the veterans of this war poignantly bears out the hardships 
of the conflict.
  The Memorial depicts, with stainless steel statues, a squad of 19 
soldiers on patrol. The ground on which they advance is reminiscent of 
the rugged Korean terrain that they encountered, and their wind-blown 
ponchos depict the treacherous weather that ensued throughout the war. 
Our soldiers landed in South Korea poorly equipped to face the icy 
temperatures of 30 degrees below zero, their weaponry outdated and 
inadequate. As a result of the extreme cold, many veterans still suffer 
today from cold-related injuries, including frostbite, cold 
sensitization, numbness, tingling and burning, circulatory problems, 
skin cancer, fungal infections, and arthritis. Furthermore, the 
psychological tolls of war have caused great hardship for many 
veterans.
  As a background to the soldiers' statues at the Memorial, the images 
of 2,400 unnamed men and women stand etched into a granite wall, 
symbolizing the determination of the United States workforce and the 
millions of family members and friends who supported the efforts of 
those at war. Looking at the steadfast, resolute faces of these 
individuals invokes in the viewer a deep admiration and appreciation 
for their importance to the war effort.
  Author James Brady, a veteran of the Korean War, spoke for all those 
who served in the war when he wrote, ``We were all proudly putting our 
lives on the line for our country. But I would later come to realize 
that the Korean War was like the middle child in a family, falling 
between World War II and Vietnam. It became an overlooked war.'' Mr. 
BRADY conveys the sentiments of many of the veterans who served in this 
war and underscores our need to give these veterans the recognition 
they are long overdue.
  Today, I salute the courage of those who answered the call to defend 
a country they never knew and a people they never met. Through their 
selfless determination and valor in the battle, these men and women 
sent an important message to future generations. I thank our Korean War 
veterans; their bravery reminds us of the value we put on freedom, 
while their sacrifices remind us that, as it says at the Korean War 
Memorial, ``Freedom is not free.'' We shall never forget.

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