AN OCEAN TO OCEAN MEMORIAL TO THE KOREAN WAR VETERANS,
FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA
The ceremony today is to honor men who have fought for this Nation and Freedom, the men from the Korean War
who gave generations since and generations yet to be the great truth, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!
This is, I believe particularly appropriate since Highway 80 was such a distinctive part of our national
history. Great explorations from the Old World traveled along this trace. In the West Cochise and Geronimo
fought the US Army; Bonnie and Clyde died on it; Yankees trod it in the War between the States; German and
Italian POW were held in camps in various places, either side of the route—and there was none of the present
nonsense about constitutional rights mouthed about or printed in the press. In fact, there was no liberal
pro-enemy press allowed in those days—we knew how to do things right, then. And as Ms. Edmunds said a few
moments ago, men went off to the war in Korea traveling Highway 80—and men came home along the same route, her
daddy being one of those who came home on Highway 80.
Highway 80 was once upon a time called The Dixie Overland Highway. There are many in the audience this morning
from the Dixie (“Double D”) Division representing the man who, so far as I am concerned, is the father of this
mission to see an ocean to ocean highway honoring Korean War Veterans, Bill Clark of Mississippi. One of the
very first persons to contact me after my election over two years ago was Bill Clark; his purpose was Highway
80. I put him in touch with Jim Myrick here in Louisiana and I know that they worked hard on this project. Bill
is fighting another battle today—perhaps his toughest—in the hospital, a veteran of the Korea War still doing
his best. We salute Bill for his vision and determination.
Unlike many of the other places and battles of America since the Korea ceasefire, what we accomplished in Korea
STILL exists, FREE. I am not only a veteran of the Korea War; I took four tours in Vietnam in that war.
Saigon
and a free Vietnam no longer exist. Seoul and a FREE KOREA do exist, a beacon of Freedom for South Asia and one
of the world’s leading economies.
General Bell, the Commander of the UN, US, and Combined US-ROK Forces in Korea (and the first man in that
position to ever become a member of the KWVA) has termed the entire area out there “FREEDOM’S FRONTIER.” All
that one has to do to understand why he chose that name is to look at the map and examine in any direction
North, Northwest, Northeast of FREE KOREA and they encounter darkness!
Veterans who fought in Korea, and who have been serving there continuously, 1950 until today, 2006, can stand
tall and proud: they defined the price of freedom by their service, AND THEY PAID AND ARE PAYING THE PRICE.
America’s first ocean to ocean highway, US Route 80, The Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway rightly
perpetuates and honors the memory of our service. We thank you and salute the memories. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!
National President, KWVA/US
Monroe, Louisiana, July 19, 2006
Unveiling
(Click picture for a larger view) |
The Vision of
Bill Clark, KWVA, Pearl MS
(Click picture for a larger view) |
Korean War
Veterans
from Many States
(Click picture for a larger view) |
Click HERE for more pictures
July 22, 2006
Recent Photo of Bill Clark
(Click picture for a larger view) |
With regret I announce the death of William L. "Bill" Clark of Mississippi, the visionary force and director
of the naming of Highway 80, America's First Ocean to Ocean Highway, on Thursday, July 20, one day after we held
the naming ceremony in Monroe, Louisiana. Not knowing that Bill had passed away, I had hoped to have my
President's Message on the website up last night, discussing the Louisiana ceremony renaming the route as "The
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway", and making it possible for Bill to enjoy the pictures of what his efforts
have accomplished.
God had another schedule. May Bill Clark, 2d Reconnaissance, 2d US Infantry Division, rest in the bivouac of
the honored who have given everything they have for God, Country, Family, and Fellow Soldiers.
Louis T Dechert
National President, KWVA/US
