July 9, 2014

As I am writing this letter another Memorial Day is approaching. As we all know, this is the time when our nation pauses to remember those who have died in the defense of freedoms across the world. I read something recently that said “the greatest casualty is being forgotten.” I think it is very important that we remember this and hope all of you will be able to take part in a Memorial Day ceremony somewhere.

Again this year the KWVA will be represented at the Memorial Day program at our Memorial and Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C. On Sunday morning, May 25, several of us, including our color guard, Tim Whitmore and Ed Brooks from Chapter 191, will hold a brief ceremony at our Memorial to remember those who died during the Korean War. The next morning we will join with President Obama and the other VSOs in the wreath laying ceremony at Arlington Cemetery.

Thanks To Mr. By Park

This continues to be an interesting and exciting time for the KWVA. I touch on several events that have taken place or will be happening shortly. We recently received the second half of a $100,000 donation from Mr. By Park, former CEO of the Pantech Corporation in Seoul, Korea. We are very pleased that he was able to do that. Dr. Jongwoo Han was instrumental in our receiving this gift, both this year and last year. Our appreciation and thanks to both of them for this much needed help for funding our outreach to Korean veterans. It is very meaningful to me that we have such strong supporters from the Korean community.

Bills We Cannot Do Without You

By now I hope you have all received the information we sent out asking everyone to contact your congressman about H. R. Bill 318. As a quick reminder: this is a bill currently in the 113th Congress that would add a “Wall of Remembrance” to our Memorial, listing the names of those who were KIA during the war. We currently have only 50 co-sponsors. With your help during this Operation Veterans Surge, we are hoping to get enough additional sponsors to get it out of committee.

I have heard from several of our members who have gotten the message and are working on it. Thanks for your response and help with this important endeavor. If you need additional information, please contact Jack Cloman at 410-658-1788 or Bill Alli at 301-464-5664.

Another bill before Congress that you might be interested in is H. B. 293. The bill, which was introduced in January 2013, authorizes the Secretary of the Army to award the Army Combat Action Badge to any member of the Army who participated in combat during the period between December 7, 1941 and September 18, 2001. Additional co-sponsors are needed to get this out of committee. So, you might want to contact your Congressman about this one also.

I Will See You In Chicago

I am looking forward to attending a luncheon for the Midwest Korean Veterans Association in Chicago, June 14, that is being held at the Westin North Shore Hotel. This event is in commemoration of the 64th Anniversary of the Korean War and is being sponsored by the Korean Sae Eden Presbyterian Church and the Korean American Association of Chicago. I hope to see many of our members there, and I hope to visit with them about their activities in that area.

The Death Of Art Griffith

We were sad to hear of the passing of another one of our former members of the Board of Directors, Art Griffith. Art was very active and served several years as our Fund Raising Chairman and did a wonderful job. He was also Chairman of the Honor Guard that served us very well at our Washington D.C. ceremonies and during our annual meetings. I feel honored to have known and served with Art. We will miss him.

The “Tiger” Returns To South Korea

We have heard that Col. Moon Ho Kang, Deputy Defense Attaché in the Korean Embassy, who is known affectionately as “Tiger,” will be completing his tour in the U.S. and returning to Korea in August. Many of you know him because he has visited many of our chapters around the country. He will certainly be missed by those who have had an opportunity to work with him and have benefited from his very outgoing personality. He has been a huge help to the KWVA during his time in the U.S.

Thanks For Your Votes

You will find the results of the recent election in this issue. I congratulate the new officers and directors and look forward to working with all of them for the next two years. For those who were not elected, I thank you for placing your name on the line to be a part of the KWVA Board. It is an interesting time to be involved with the Board at the National level, and I respect and admire those who are willing to give of their time to help us make the KWVA a better organization. I appreciate all who voted this year, and I hope we can continue to increase member interest in the elections.

Nothing To Report On Washington

As of this printing we have no information on a planned meeting in Washington D.C. in July, except for the Youth Corps meeting being held by Dr. Jongwoo Han that is detailed in this issue. If something develops, it will be sent out by email or posted on the National website.

Don’t Go To The Wrong Rochester

We are planning a great Annual Membership meeting in Rochester, MN in October this year. I strongly encourage all who are able to be there. Details are shown in this issue.

Good News For Korea Defense Veterans

As a final note, during a recent visit to Washington D.C., ROK Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA), The Honorable Park, Sung Choon, announced that commencing in 2015, Korea Defense Veterans would become eligible for the Revisit Korea Program. This is very good news and an initiative that KWVA has been recommending for several years.

At this time, we have few details on the change, except Minister Park emphasized that Korea War veterans will continue to have first priority. We anticipate receiving more details and eligibility requirements toward the end of the year.

Larry Kinard, President
Korean War Veterans Association, Inc. (KWVA/US)