Today, United States and Korean Veterans joined together at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the armistice agreement that brought a cease fire to the conflict. The event included a poetry reading from a Korean War Veteran, the laying of roses to honor each country that lost lives in the war, and the playing of taps as wreaths were presented.
The war began on June 25, 1950, when communist North Korea invaded South Korea. Almost immediately, the United States secured a resolution from the United Nations calling for the military defense of South Korea against the North Korean aggression. The war eventually bogged down to a battle of attrition.
The armistice, signed on July 27, 1953, established a committee of representatives from neutral countries to decide the fate of thousands of prisoners of war on both sides. They eventually gave prisoners agency over their own fate, allowing them to stay where they were or return to their homeland. A new border between the North and South was drawn and the zone between the two nations was demilitarized. Millions of lives were lost in the war, including 37,000 Americans.
An engraving in front of the statues at the memorial in D.C. reads “Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.”
The post 64 years on: Veterans reflect on Korean War and honor the fallen appeared first on VAntage Point.
Visits: 17
