Thousands of Americans and Koreans who died during the three-year Korean War in the 1950s are being honored with a permanent memorial in the nation's capital.
Today, a Wall of Remembrance was officially dedicated at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, on the National Mall. Today is also the day that an armistice agreement was signed for the war, on July 27, 1953.
After more than two years of negotiations, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953.
— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) July 27, 2022
The event is commemorated on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. Today, we thank 1.8 million Americans for their service in the #KoreanWar. #HonorThem pic.twitter.com/oFMY0EbRYA
The names of 36,574 Americans and more than 7,1000 Koreans are listed on the Wall of Remembrance - and Marylanders were a major part of both the war, and of helping the new memorial come to fruition.
Harford County, for example, was the first county in the U.S. to contribute to the building of the wall. The county gave $12,3000 toward the memorial back in 2018.
Thirty Harford Countians gave their lives in the conflict. County Executive Barry Glassman said at the time:
“Harford County is proud to honor our fallen heroes and all Americans who gave their lives in the Korean War. As the incoming president of the Maryland Association of Counties, I encourage our fellow counties to join this effort. Together we can lead the nation in helping future generations remember the Korean War and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
The State of Maryland committed $250,000 to support ongoing maintenance of the wall, said Gov. Larry Hogan in a press release today. First Lady Yumi Hogan attended the dedication of the wall.
She said in a statement: “I know first-hand that the people of South Korea remain forever grateful for the sacrifices made by Americans there, and I would not be here today if it weren’t for the dedication and sacrifice of all our Korean War veterans who enabled democracy and freedom for my homeland. It has been an incredible honor to be the first Korean-American First Lady in the history of the United States, and as long as I am Maryland’s First Lady—and long after that—I will continue to support our Korean War veterans and their families.”
This morning the First Lady attended the dedication ceremony for the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) July 27, 2022
More than 15,000 Marylanders served in the Korean War, including 531 who made the ultimate sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/3M3Cu0PlCP
More than 15,000 Marylanders served in the Korean War, including 531 who made the ultimate sacrifice.
