The Korean War is often referred to as “The Forgotten War,” a clash between North and South Korea waged between the celebratory victory of World War II and the anti-war sentiment of Vietnam.
But those who fought in that war that started nearly 70 years ago are still being honored today. More than 80 veterans who served during the Korean War will be honored with the Ambassador for Peace Medal during a ceremony on November 16 at 1 p.m. in the Troy Montgomery Davis Theatre. Young-jun Kim, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Atlanta, will present the medals.
South Korea’s government began offering the medals in 1975 to veterans who visited the country through its “Revisit Program,” which was meant to show gratitude for the sacrifices that saved their country from communism. The honor has since expanded to veterans who cannot travel the long journey to Korea.
"It's not too late to say, 'Thank you for your service, welcome home,'" said Mike Northcutt, acting commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs.
In Alabama, there are 21,991 Korean War veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More than 300 veterans applied to receive the medal and those who are unable to attend the ceremony will still receive the medal. The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs will continue to work with veterans to secure their medals.
“As we honor our veterans from this era, we also wish to invite veterans from all branches and periods of service to visit their local veterans service office, or visit us online at va.alabama.gov,” Northcutt said. “Our offices are standing by to assist veterans, their survivors, and dependents in learning more about the benefits, services and programs available to them.”