Korean War veterans honored | Franklin Observer

Korean War veterans and other spectators salute the American flag as the national anthem is played during a ceremony commemorating the 71st anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement at Memorial Hall on Monday, July 22, 2024.

Sam Doran/SHNS

On Monday, veterans met with state officials and the Korean Consul General to mark the 71st anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War – and to remember a generation of veterans who did not receive the recognition they deserved, said Veterans Affairs Secretary Jon Santiago.

“Korean War veterans endured unimaginable hardships, bitter cold and relentless fighting,” Santiago said in the State House’s Memorial Hall, recalling the conflict that lasted from 1950 to 1953.

Jon Santiago (center), Secretary of Veterans Services for the U.S. state of Massachusetts, and Kim Jae-hui, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Boston, bow their heads during a prayer by the Rev. Dr. Paul Kim (left), national chaplain of the Korean War Veterans Association, at a ceremony in Memorial Hall on Monday, July 22, 2024.

Sam Doran/SHNS

“After the war, Korean War veterans returned to a nation ready to move on, often without the recognition they deserved,” Santiago said, adding that the goal of Monday’s event was to honor the “resilience” and “bravery” of Korean War service members.

Kim Jae-hui, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Boston, praised the “brave men and women from the United States” who fought “shoulder to shoulder” with the people of the Republic of Korea and other nations.

“Today we pay tribute to their courage and dedication and recognize that the freedom and prosperity we enjoy today are based on their valiant efforts and immense sacrifices,” Kim said.

The 1953 armistice “was not just the cessation of hostilities on the Korean peninsula,” the consul general told the crowd. For the Korean people, he said, it meant “a new morning, a new beginning of the chance to rise from the ruins of war.”

Kim Jae-hui, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Boston, addresses veterans of the Korean War on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement in Memorial Hall of the State House on Monday, July 22, 2024.

Sam Doran/SHNS

In advance of Monday’s event, staff from the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services wrote and designed information panels about the war’s fiercest battles, defining moments and celebrated heroes – such as Captain Thomas Hudner Jr. of Massachusetts, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery.

Kim said he felt the panels “capture the memories of our veterans.” The exhibit will be on display at the State House throughout the summer, according to Santiago.

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Marine Corps League were among those attending the ceremony at the State House, where a memorial table was set up for prisoners of war and missing soldiers. Those in attendance included Albert McCarthy, national director of the Korean War Veterans Association; Pvt. Vartkess Tarbassian, 2nd Infantry Division; Lt. Col. John Thompson, commander of KWVA Chapter 300; and Master Sgt. Larry Cole, commander of KWVA Chapter 141, which covers the Cape and Islands.