Remembering the forgotten war: Korea conflict commemorated on 65th anniversary of ceasefire

By: 
Robert Maharry

Because of the seemingly limitless American cultural fascination with World War II and Vietnam, the military conflict that occurred between the two and marked the first major escalation of the Cold War often fails to garner the same attention. But for the men and women who served in Korea—all of the living veterans of the war are now in their 80’s—the memories have never dissipated.
           
At least 30 Korea veterans are still residing in Grundy County, and a few of them gathered at the Wellsburg Veteran’s Memorial last week to share their experiences. Each had a different story to tell: Jerry Brown was stationed in France, Ken Hoff was at Fort Knox in Kentucky, Bob Lutes landed at Okinawa (a Japanese island that became strategically important at the end of World War II), Vernon Miller went to Germany and Kenneth Thede was on a base in Washington State.
           
To this day, the Korean War has never officially been resolved: two separate nations—the communist dictatorship led by Kim Jong-Un in the north and the free market, U.S. allied liberal democracy in south—have emerged, and a peace treaty was never signed.
           
“No war is ever nice, and that war was not nice (either),” Hoff said. 
 
Read the full story in this week's Grundy Register. Subscribe by calling (319) 824-6958 or clicking here. 

The Grundy Register

601 G. Avenue - P.O. Box 245
Grundy Center, IA 50638
Telephone: 1-319-824-6958
Fax: 1-800-340-0805

Mid-America Publishing

This newspaper is part of the Mid-America Publishing Family. Please visit www.midampublishing.com for more information.