[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11773]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING OUR NATION'S HEROES FROM THE KOREAN WAR

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. C. W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 24, 2010

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in 
our solemn recognition this morning of the 60th anniversary of the 
Korean War as we pay tribute to the American heroes who served in the 
finest tradition in that so called ``Forgotten War.''
  To this member though, Korea was far from a forgotten war. It was war 
in which more than 36,000 Americans lost their lives defending our 
ideals of freedom and democracy against communist aggression.
  It was 60 years ago that North Korean troops stormed across the 38th 
parallel into South Korea, launching a three-year conflict that 
culminated in an armistice in 1953. The ferocious North Korean attack 
caught the South Korean army by surprise--they rapidly advanced, 
seizing the capital in a few short days. Concerned over the spread of 
communism, President Truman ordered U.S. forces to defend South Korea 
as part of a United Nations Task Force. Unfortunately, that initial 
effort did little to stop the advance and our forces suffered heavy 
losses during their first significant engagement of the war.
  For the next couple of months, the situation looked extremely dire as 
U.N. forces were beaten back all the way to Pusan. There, however, we 
held the line with the Battle of Pusan Perimeter. The now famous Inchon 
Landing further turned the tide by enveloping North Korean forces and 
forcing them to retreat. Ultimately, China entered the war, a stalemate 
developed, and the war ended much where it began at the 38th Parallel.
  The timeline of the Korean War itself does little to capture the 
individual stories of heroism and sacrifice. Our soldiers endured the 
harshest of conditions and the coldest of winters. Ultimately, 36,000 
lost their lives and many thousand more were wounded or captured. Their 
sacrifice was not in vain and their defense of our ideals bore fruit 
that can be seen today. The clearest evidence is that South Korea has 
emerged as a democratic and economic powerhouse while North Korea 
languishes in an isolated morass of its own making.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to take the time today to reassure our 
heroes of the Korean War that they are not forgotten. Instead, they 
remain an inspiration to us and to all who have worn the uniform and 
who will volunteer to do so in the future. Only they have the firsthand 
knowledge of the hardship and challenges faced on that distant 
battlefield but they can rest assured that they have the heartfelt 
thanks and grateful appreciation of our nation for their service half a 
world away.

                          ____________________