thedrifter
07-29-03, 09:56 AM
'Forgotten' Korean War remembered
Armistice signed 50 years ago
HEATHER WOODWARD THE OLYMPIAN
It has been called the Forgotten War.
But those who served in the Korean War remember it well. They remember the bitter cold, the prisoner-of-war camps and the soldiers who gave their lives.
Two ceremonies Sunday marked 50 years since the signing of an armistice agreement to cease fire. Korean War veterans from across Washington gathered in Olympia and Fort Lewis for the two events, which drew both solace and tears from those who attended.
"Every time I come here, I have a deep heart," said Daniel Gogerty, standing beside the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the Capitol Campus in Olympia.
Gogerty was 16 when he fought as a Marine corporal in the war. He is one of the Chosin Few, survivors of one of the war's bloodiest battles.
"I have really good friends on here," Gogerty said of the memorial. "I have really strong emotions about this."
About 120 people gathered Sunday at the memorial, which lists a new name as of this month.
James Edward Stevens, an Everett native who later settled in Tacoma, died May 15, 1951, after being captured by the North Koreans as a prisoner of war. He was 37 years old at the time.
Stevens' son, Ken Stevens, of Tacoma, accepted a service medal on his father's behalf Sunday at Fort Lewis. The Stevens family also placed flowers on the memorial Sunday in Olympia.
"I brought his body home, and I put it to rest then," Ken Stevens said. "I think it's great to have it here put on the memorial. It's a satisfaction. It's the place where he deserves to be."
Ken Stevens' daughter, Tammy Stevens, is an employee at The Olympian.
The Korean War earned the name the Forgotten War after some deemed the conflict more a policing operation than a combat mission. That's a misunderstanding people should put behind them, military personnel said Sunday.
"It was a war in the truest sense of the word," said Lt. Gen. Edward Soriano, commanding general of I Corps and Ft. Lewis. "It was a war that pitted forces of freedom against the forces of oppression. ... It was soon called the Forgotten War. It is our charge to ensure that the world never forgets."
Jae-Gouk Kim, consul of the General Republic of Korea, said that although a pact between his country and the United States has been in place for 50 years, there is still work to be done to strengthen the two nations' relationship.
"We have uncompromisingly improved our political, economic and military ties, bearing in mind the lessons of the past," Kim said during the Fort Lewis ceremony. "There have been times our two countries, our two democracies, should have understood each other better."
The ceremonies Sunday brought comfort to some attendees.
"When we all get together, we can talk about the same thing from the same perspective," said Charley Heath, an Olympia resident who won two purple hearts for his service in the 2nd Division of the 38th Infantry Regiment. "It's a great relief to our whole bodies to get some of this out of our system, and it's not anger or hate or anything like that. We just don't know how to express it."
Emotions ran high among some veterans who said they will never forget their experience at war.
"I spent my whole life being a soldier," said Robert Miller, with tears welling in his eyes.
Miller, a Lacey veteran, fought in the 40th Division Artillery.
"There's nothing specifically about the war," he said. "It's just the memory of it."
©2003 The Olympian
http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20030728/southsound/62547.shtml
http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20030728/southsound/62547-33300.jpg
With Mount Rainier as a backdrop, soldiers stand at attention during the Korean War 50th anniversary ceremony Sunday at Fort Lewis.
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
Armistice signed 50 years ago
HEATHER WOODWARD THE OLYMPIAN
It has been called the Forgotten War.
But those who served in the Korean War remember it well. They remember the bitter cold, the prisoner-of-war camps and the soldiers who gave their lives.
Two ceremonies Sunday marked 50 years since the signing of an armistice agreement to cease fire. Korean War veterans from across Washington gathered in Olympia and Fort Lewis for the two events, which drew both solace and tears from those who attended.
"Every time I come here, I have a deep heart," said Daniel Gogerty, standing beside the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the Capitol Campus in Olympia.
Gogerty was 16 when he fought as a Marine corporal in the war. He is one of the Chosin Few, survivors of one of the war's bloodiest battles.
"I have really good friends on here," Gogerty said of the memorial. "I have really strong emotions about this."
About 120 people gathered Sunday at the memorial, which lists a new name as of this month.
James Edward Stevens, an Everett native who later settled in Tacoma, died May 15, 1951, after being captured by the North Koreans as a prisoner of war. He was 37 years old at the time.
Stevens' son, Ken Stevens, of Tacoma, accepted a service medal on his father's behalf Sunday at Fort Lewis. The Stevens family also placed flowers on the memorial Sunday in Olympia.
"I brought his body home, and I put it to rest then," Ken Stevens said. "I think it's great to have it here put on the memorial. It's a satisfaction. It's the place where he deserves to be."
Ken Stevens' daughter, Tammy Stevens, is an employee at The Olympian.
The Korean War earned the name the Forgotten War after some deemed the conflict more a policing operation than a combat mission. That's a misunderstanding people should put behind them, military personnel said Sunday.
"It was a war in the truest sense of the word," said Lt. Gen. Edward Soriano, commanding general of I Corps and Ft. Lewis. "It was a war that pitted forces of freedom against the forces of oppression. ... It was soon called the Forgotten War. It is our charge to ensure that the world never forgets."
Jae-Gouk Kim, consul of the General Republic of Korea, said that although a pact between his country and the United States has been in place for 50 years, there is still work to be done to strengthen the two nations' relationship.
"We have uncompromisingly improved our political, economic and military ties, bearing in mind the lessons of the past," Kim said during the Fort Lewis ceremony. "There have been times our two countries, our two democracies, should have understood each other better."
The ceremonies Sunday brought comfort to some attendees.
"When we all get together, we can talk about the same thing from the same perspective," said Charley Heath, an Olympia resident who won two purple hearts for his service in the 2nd Division of the 38th Infantry Regiment. "It's a great relief to our whole bodies to get some of this out of our system, and it's not anger or hate or anything like that. We just don't know how to express it."
Emotions ran high among some veterans who said they will never forget their experience at war.
"I spent my whole life being a soldier," said Robert Miller, with tears welling in his eyes.
Miller, a Lacey veteran, fought in the 40th Division Artillery.
"There's nothing specifically about the war," he said. "It's just the memory of it."
©2003 The Olympian
http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20030728/southsound/62547.shtml
http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20030728/southsound/62547-33300.jpg
With Mount Rainier as a backdrop, soldiers stand at attention during the Korean War 50th anniversary ceremony Sunday at Fort Lewis.
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: