Korean War veterans attend a ceremony in the Pentagon marking the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, June 24, 2010. DoD photo by Elaine Wilson
Heather Forsgren Weaver, a colleague of mine at American Forces Press Service, is a regular contributor to Family Matters. Heather’s been heavily involved in this blog from the start. She edits, helps write and posts content on a daily basis.
In this blog, Heather writes about how the Korean War is not forgotten.
Not the ‘Forgotten War’
By Heather Forsgren Weaver
June 24, 2010
This week marks the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War. I was not yet born when the Korean War was fought, but I have much admiration for the veterans of what some call the “forgotten war.” These veterans fought their fight and returned to little fanfare, unlike “the greatest generation.” Their war became almost a footnote to history.
I say “almost” because I, like many of my generation, first learned about warfare by watching the TV series “MASH,” about life at a U.S. Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. “MASH,” which covered a three-year military conflict, spanned 251 episodes and lasted 11 seasons. It is still in syndication and I have recently been able to relive my youth by watching various episodes.
Some of my favorite “MASH” episodes are about family, whether about the “military family” of the fictional 4077th MASH unit, the father-daughter relationship between Maj. Margaret Houlihan and her father, or the love Col. Sherman Potter has for his horse. All of these themes are timeless, and I am quite sure are being repeated in real life as our troops fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It was shortly after “MASH” ended that the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall was built and dedicated and I began learning about that conflict both at home and abroad. The veterans of the Korean War again seemed to fade into near obscurity as focus turned to giving the Vietnam Veterans proper respect for their service.
It would take until 1995 – 42 years after the conflict ended – for a memorial to the Korean War veterans and fallen to be built.
I remember visiting the memorial with my mother shortly after its dedication. We reminisced about watching “MASH” together and talked of the veterans we knew personally. We could name more veterans of that conflict than we could of Vietnam. To us, the Korean War was not forgotten.
To honor and remember Korean War veterans on this 60th anniversary, the American Forces Press Service has launched a multi-media Web special. It includes photographs from the era, videos and podcasts from each of the services and historical information about the conflict. I hope you enjoy it.