East Hartford Honors Korean War Veterans with a Flag Raising
East Hartford, CT— Today, June 25th, the Town of East Hartford and the East Hartford Veterans Commission recognized the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War and honored Korean War Veterans with a flag raising ceremony.
“We are honored to commemorate, thank and remember the brave men and women for their service and ultimate sacrifice,” said Mayor Marcia Leclerc.
On the morning of June 25th, 1950, 135,000 North Koreans swept across the 38th parallel, invading South Korea. The sneak attack sent the much smaller South Korean Army reeling. In response to this first major provocation the United States (US) and Republic of Korea (ROK) military alliance was born of necessity, as brave US and ROK service members from a world apart banded together based on shared values and common purpose.
The formidable force was soon augmented by service members from 16 partner nations who answered the call to preserve freedom and democracy under the auspices of the newly-formed United Nations Command. As the US-ROK Alliance motto goes: “Katchi Kapshida! We go together!”
Over 5.7 million Americans served in the Korean War, including many East Hartford residents; and 33,739, including at least nine from East Hartford, were killed in action, while 103,000 were wounded and another 7,900 are still missing in action.
“We should cherish all veterans for their sacrifices – as the saying goes “all gave some; some gave all,”’ said East Hartford Veterans Commission Chair John Cook. “The Korean War is often referred to as the Forgotten War and anything we can do to recognize the sacrifices of Korean War Veterans is a small tribute from a grateful Town.”