Mansfield Korean War veterans celebrate memorial renovation

Walker said attending the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA) national conference in 2022 got him thinking about updating the memorial in Mansfield’s Central Park.

“The national board talked about putting up defense era monuments all over the United States,” he said. “Our monument is already up, so we just needed to get enough people together to support it and put the inscription on the other side.”

Walker said he was pleased with the number of people who attended the dedication ceremony, including the Korean Vice Consul of Chicago, local KWVA members and Boy Scout Troop 138 from Mansfield.

“We had a good turnout and I’m really happy with how it went,” Walker said. “I hope people can appreciate the memorial and learn about the legacy that generations before them sacrificed so that they could gain their freedom.”

“I think this will give people a better understanding that freedom is not free.”

Richland County is the first place in Ohio with a double-sided Korean War memorial

The Fun Center Chordsmen sang the national anthem and the Armed Forces Medley at the dedication ceremony. Jay Haar, Secretary of the KWVA, sang the South Korean national anthem.

Doug Theaker, president of the Richland County Veterans Service Commission and a Korean War veteran, told attendees the story behind the original 2003 memorial.

“On this monument are the names of 23 Richland County residents who paid the ultimate price – they died for freedom,” he said.

“We called it the forgotten war. Because of the Korean War veterans in Chapter 51 and many others, we will never forget them, and we will never forget the Korean War and the end of communist aggression.”

JT Huffer-Cole, a representative for Senator Sherrod Brown, read a proclamation from the Senator.

“Ohio is full of heroes, and nothing symbolizes that better than the people who are here today, and especially the heroes to whom this memorial is dedicated,” the proclamation states.

“On behalf of a grateful state, I thank you for all you have done to preserve and protect our country and the values ​​we hold dear.”

Governor Mike DeWine and Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry also presented proclamations.

The mayor said Mansfield and Richland County now have the first memorial in the state of Ohio, with two sides honoring veterans who served in South Korea during the war and after the signing of the armistice in 1955 until the present.

“Your legacy lives on not only in the hearts of the American people, but in the Republic of Korea, which is free and prosperous in a world made safer because of your service,” Perry said. “Your service to our country and our community is greatly appreciated.”

Longstreth Memorials in Mansfield has engraved an inscription on the back of the memorial which also includes a tribute to Defence Era veterans.

The bronze Korea Defense Service Medal affixed to the memorial was created by Skylight Studios in Massachusetts. The original memorial, designed by Bob Hutchinson and dedicated in 2003, names 23 Richland County men who died in combat.

The newly labeled page is dedicated to Defense Era veterans who served from February 1, 1955, to the present.

“Every veteran has a story,” Walker said. “Since I’ve been a member of the KWVA, I’ve listened to the stories of the guys who came before me. I’ve learned so much that I didn’t know while I was in Korea.”

“This memorial now serves as a dual-purpose memorial, a token of gratitude to all who served and sacrificed in both wartime and defense time. The servicemen and women serving in Korea today deserve our support.”