USA: WASHINGTON: END OF THE KOREAN WAR MARKED

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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English/Nat Veterans have gathered in Washington to mark the forty fifth anniversary of the end of the Korean war with a new memorial. Technically the war is still being fought because there is still no recognized peace treaty but an armistice and the creation of a Demilitarized Zone ended the fighting in 1953. The Korean Ambassador to the United States, along with an honour guard and other dignitaries, placed floral wreaths on the new Korean War Memorial. They were joined by a small crowd of veterans and their families in a ceremony recognizing those who protected South Korea from occupation nearly 50 years ago. Over five thousand American soldiers died in the war and eight thousand are still missing. For many the Korean War was called the forgotten war by veterans of the fighting who believed that the United States had not recognized their efforts. The Korean Ambassador to the United States hinted at this when he spoke at the ceremony. SOUNDBITE: (English) "It is imperative that we never forget the courageous contributions these find men and women made to the advancement of democracy and the freedom of our nations. Today, Korea still faces an ongoing threat from the Communist north." SUPER CAPTION: Ambassador Hung-kee Lee, Republic of Korea The Secretary of Veterans Affairs spoke of the American soldiers who are currently posted in South Korea. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Even as today, American forces on active duty serve with their Korean counterparts side-by-side. As a continuing reminder of America's commitment to the freedom of Koreans on that peninsula. SUPER CAPTION: Togo West, Secretary - Department of Veterans Affairs President Clinton proclaimed July 27 as "National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. In his remarks, he said that Korea was no longer the "forgotten war" thanks to the Korean War memorial. Troops from over twenty countries joined the allied forces under United Nations command that fought to push Communist troops back across the 37th parallel. One veteran commented on the Korean society he had fought for years ago. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I look back on this, yes, and I look back on what's happened with the Korean community. Yes, definitely, Korea's come a long way. Everybody I talk to, every veteran I know that's been over there, they all say the same thing. It was well worth it when they see the results." SUPER CAPTION: Alfred Lawler, Korean War Veteran Another was adamant the war should never be forgotten. SOUNDBITE: (English) "It was call the forgotten war because people forgot it, period. And so with this monument, memorial, everything that we have up here, its to remind us... remind us what we did and also not to have it happen again." SUPER CAPTION: Tom Clayton, Korean Veteran More than 30 thousand American troops are still stationed along the demilitarized zone to serve as the human "trip-wire" should North Korea ever attempt to invade the south. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/1a59af0f62be3accf3e267a3cb3d0e31 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork