In the several years that I have lived here, I’ve found that the people of Branson are kind hearted and disarmingly friendly. But one of the qualities that I most admire is that they do not forget our nation’s veterans.

For instance, on Saturday, July 26 the Harry S. Truman Chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association will host a memorial ceremony marking the end of “The Forgotten War.” The remembrance will be held at the Ozarks Memorial Park, 1638 East Highway 76 Branson, Missouri at 10:00a.m.

‘This brief ceremony will be reverent and reflective. Our purpose is to quietly gather to honor veterans, our friends, who served in the Korean War and to remember those who did not return home’ shared Joe Bryant, journalist and Korean War Veteran.

The Korean War is often cited as the Forgotten War because it came on the heels of World War II and was overshadowed in the next decade by the war in Viet Nam. On June 25, 1950, the Communist forces of North Korea, with support from the Soviet Union, invaded their southern Korean neighbors, who were supported by the United States. President Harry S. Truman ordered American troops into battle and they were soon joined by soldiers from 15 other United Nations member countries. The conflict escalated when Chinese soldiers reinforced the North Koreans. An armistice, officially signed on July 27, 1953, ended the fighting.

Unfortunately, peace was never truly declared and the country still remains divided.

At the time of the Korean War there were 5.7 million men and women in the US Armed Services with 1.8 million having served in the Korean War Theater. More than 36,000 US personnel died in Korea and 103,000 were wounded. Chinese and Korean casualties were higher by a factor of 10. 131 Korean War participants received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Sadly, there are 8176 men unaccounted for.

I am proud to say that both of my parents were in the military during those years.

Please take time to remember those who served in Korea.

[ The photograph is courtesy of the Korean War Memorial, Washington, D.C. ]

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