[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 30, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           THE FORGOTTEN WAR

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 30, 2010

  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, half way across the world, nearly 
37,000 Americans gave their lives in a struggle against communism from 
the summer of 1950 to the summer of 1953. How does one forget?
  Overshadowed by World War II and Vietnam, the Korean War has commonly 
been referred to as ``The Forgotten War'', although it figures 
prominently in the development of historical events. Friday, June 25, 
marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. In the early hours of 
June 25 1950, communist forces from the north crossed the 38th parallel 
and invaded the Republic of South Korea. Two days after the North 
Korean invasion, President Harry S. Truman authorized the use of 
American military forces in Korea. Nearly two million Americans stepped 
up in attempt to triumph evil in the Korean theatre.
  The Korean War was a civil war; Koreans fought and killed each other 
on their own soil. The economic and social danger to the Korean nation 
was incalculable. It was also one of the first episodes of the Cold War 
between the United States and the Soviet Union. Others, including a 
communist China, joined in based on their ideologies.
  Remembering the Korean War is painful for many veterans who fought in 
it. Those who were there remember the violent hand to hand combat and 
the extreme conditions they faced. Maybe that's why it's forgotten. Or 
maybe it's due to the fact that history frowns upon conflicts in which 
there is no clear winner. But for whatever reasons there are, the 
Americans who served, the lives that were lost, and the cause that was 
fought for should never be forgotten.
  It might not have been the most glorious war in our history, but 
nearly two million Americans rose up to triumph evil on the Korean 
Peninsula during those violent years. That's pretty unforgettable.

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