A monument engraved with the names of the 36-thousand-591 U.S. soldiers killed during the Korean War was unveiled in California on Thursday.
The Korean War Memorial Monument Committee and the South Korean consulate general in Los Angeles co-hosted a ceremony to unveil the memorial in Fullerton City, Orange County.
It is the first time that such a tribute bearing the names of all America’s fallen heroes from the Korean War, often dubbed as the Forgotten War, was installed in the U.S.
South Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs shouldered 30 percent of the 720-thousand-dollar project, while the rest was covered through a decade-long fundraising campaign and donations from the Korean American community in the U.S.
The ceremony coincided with International Memorial Day for United Nations Veterans and Veterans Day in the U.S.
In their congratulatory messages, President Moon Jae-in said each and every hero’s courage and sacrifice will forever be remembered, while U.S. President Joe Biden said the monument is meant to show respect for the fallen soldiers.
Source: KBS World Radio