December 25, 2007
2007 is drawing to the close as all years do—a season of family, good feelings for most, sadness for
too many, and a look ahead to a new page of 366 paragraphs.
Traditionally most of the news media look back at this time of year. Time Magazine, for example,
announces their person of the year—used to be Man of the Year. This year Time Magazine honored
freedom’s enemies; they have done that before.
We can take pride that in late 1950 the American fighting man in Korea was chosen as Man of the Year
(an extract follows my remarks). That distinction endured through 1953. Worldwide events since the 1950-1953
phase of the Korea War have shown that the magazine had it right back then. One day—perhaps when the Korea
War ends with a peace treaty—newsmen will realize that what was accomplished by we who were there 1950-200?,
along with the Republic of Korea, was a transcending combat, peace-making, and nation-building victory.
My friends and comrades we did it! Congratulations—once and future—American Fighting men and women of
the year! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
National President, KWVA/US
Chairman of the Board
“1950: American Fighting-Man
FROM THE TIME ARCHIVE
Jan. 1, 1951
The man of 1950 was not a statesman; Dean Acheson and his fellow diplomats of the free world had, in 1950,
notably failed to stop the march of Communism. Nor was 1950's man a general; the best commander of the year,
MacArthur, had blundered and been beaten. Nor a scientist, for science--so sure at the century's beginning
that it had all the answers--now waited for the politicians (or anyone else) to find a way of controlling
the terrible power that science had released. Nor an industrialist, for 1950, although it produced more
goods than any other year in the world's history, was not preoccupied with goods, but with life & death.
Nor a scholar, for the world of 1950 was surfeited with undigested facts, and sought its salvation not in
the conquest of new knowledge but in what it could relearn from old, old lessons. 1950's man might turn
out to be the aging conspirator, Joseph Stalin but as the year closed, that dreadful prospect was far from
certain; if he was winning the game and not just an inning, Stalin's historians would record that 1950--and
all other years from the death of Lenin--belonged to him. Or 1950's man might turn out to be an unknown
saint, quietly living above the clash of armies and ideas. Him, too, the future would have to find.
As the year ended, 1950's man seemed to be an American in the bitterly unwelcome
role of the fighting-man. It was not a role the American had sought, either as an individual or as a nation.
The U.S. fighting-man was not civilization's crusader, but destiny's draftee. The Peculiar Soldier. . .
. . .”
So it is again this Christmas, 2007, my fellow veterans. Let us never
forget or dishonor those who paid freedom’s price in KOREA, 1948 - to date. And let us not forget DESTINY’S
AMERICAN PECULIAR SOLDIERS NOW IN OPERATIONS IRAQI FREEDOM (IRAQ) AND ENDURING FREEDOM (AFGHANISTAN),
2001 thru 2007’s MEN AND WOMEN OF THE YEAR so far as this Veterans leader
is concerned.
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