December 26, 2014

As I write this in early November, Veterans Day programs are being planned all over the country. I think it is one of the best times of the year, when we pause to remember those who served in our armed forces and say thank you for your service. I hope every member of the KWVA will take the opportunity to be a part of one of these ceremonies wherever you are and make the “Turn To Busan” salute a part of the ceremony.

A Great Meeting In Rochester

I focus on two subjects in my letter for this issue, the annual Board and Membership meeting in Rochester, Minnesota and the upcoming election for four new Board members. First, I thank several of our members who did a wonderful job in planning and organizing the meeting this year, including Ed Valle, Chapter Commander of Minnesota #1, and all the members who worked hard to make all of us who attended feel welcome. Warren Wiedhahn, 1st VP, and Jim Fisher, our new Executive Director, chipped in with Ed and his people to make for a very successful effort.

At the Board Meeting on Thursday, Oct 16th, all Board members were present, along with select staff personnel to assist. One of the major items accomplished this time was the appointment of a new part-time Executive Director for our organization. The Board voted, and it was approved by the members present, to accept Mr. Jim Fisher, who has worked pro bono with us for a number of years in the Washington D.C. area. He is well known by the veterans in that area. Jim will be helping us manage the affairs of the KWVA. (More details on his job responsibilities and his bio appear on page 10.)

Friday was an off day for many to enjoy short trips around the Rochester area. Several attendees visited the local casinos, but most went on the “Color Tour” to see the upper Mississippi River Valley in its full array of late fall colors.

Socks And Speakers

Other highlights of the Membership Meeting were presentations by Congressman Tim Walz of the 1st Minnesota Congressional District and Dr. Byong Moon Kim, a Korean-American in the Minneapolis area who is a very strong supporter of Korean veterans. While there, Dr. Kim gave every veteran a pair of socks that pictured the flags of the United States and South Korea with the words “In Appreciation for President Truman and Korean War Vets 1950-1953.”

Mr. Peter Taves, newly appointed Communications Director for the American Veterans of Korea Foundation (AVKF), spoke to the meeting with greetings from Foundation CEO Jung Hoon Kim. He spoke of several initiatives being planned by the Foundation that could be of significant help to all Korean veterans and their descendants and also to our organization. At the conclusion of his presentation he handed me an envelope with a very welcome $3,000 cash gift from Chairman Kim’s Foundation to help defray expenses of the annual meeting.

As a side note, Warren Wiedhahn, 1st VP, was invited to Korea in early November to take part in the November 11 “Turn to Busan” ceremony in Seoul and Pusan. While there he had a chance to visit with Chairman Kim to discuss some of the details of the future plans of the American Veterans of Korea Foundation.

Eating And Entertainment

Approximately 200 people attended the banquet on Saturday night to hear Chicago Consul-General Sang-Il Kim speak and to enjoy dance and musical entertainment provided by a lovely group of young Korean ladies from the Jang Mi Korean Dance and Drum group from St. Paul. President Hyun Sook Han of the local Korean American Association of Minnesota very ably organized and presented the program.

At the conclusion of his speech the Consul-General invited me to the speaker’s rostrum and presented me with a check for $2,000 to help with expenses. Our visiting speaker for the Sunday Memorial Service, General Shin, graciously provided the wine for the dinner. Needless to say, all of this was greatly appreciated and was a tremendous help in covering our costs.

Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony was held on Sunday morning at the Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial Wall. A large crowd of veterans and their families gathered in the cool morning of the last day to witness the wreath laying and hear the ROK Defense Attaché General Kyoung Soo Shin speak about the bond and the strong alliance between the U.S. and South Korea. We very much appreciated General Shin making the trip from Washington D.C. to be with us during the meeting.

Overall, I thought the Annual Meeting in Rochester, Minnesota was one of the best we have had in recent years. I heard many good comments about the hospitality of the City of Rochester, the Grand Kahler Hotel, and the local Korean American community. I hope you will take a little time to review the minutes of the meeting printed in this issue of the magazine.

An Inspiring Letter

After I returned home I received a letter from one of our members, Mr. James Walsh, who emphasizes some of the tenets of what the KWVA is all about. (See the facsimile on p. 11.) In it he expresses the feelings of many of us and the benefits derived from gathering together periodically to remember, renew friendships, and celebrate the rewards of what we accomplished many years ago. I hope more of you will be able to attend these meetings in the near future.

Join Us Next Year

Please note that planning is already underway for the annual meeting, July 24-27, 2015, in Washington D.C., when we will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Korean War Memorial and the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Korean War Veterans Association.

Upcoming Elections

Now, for a brief thought about the upcoming election in which we need to fill four expiring Director positions on the current Board. It is extremely important that we have good candidates for these positions who are willing to serve and take responsibility if elected. Please send in your resumes to the Election Committee if you would like to be a part of the leadership of the KWVA.

As always, the future of any organization is heavily dependent on strong leadership at the top. I will say again, as I did last year, that I have been very disappointed in the ballot return in recent elections.

TO OUR MEMBERS—PLEASE MAKE AN EFFORT THIS YEAR TO REVIEW THE RESUMES OF THOSE WHO ARE RUNNING AND VOTE! If you have questions, please give the Election Chairman a call.

We Have A Lot For Which To Be Thankful

I realize that I have devoted most of the space in this letter to the meeting in October. It was definitely for a purpose. When you consider our total membership, the number present at the annual meeting is generally very small and I would like to change that by encouraging more of you to make an effort to attend.

The letter written by Jim Walsh reminded me of the power of comradeship and bonds that are created when serving together in the military. I hope you will all consider his words when reviewing the information that will be coming out soon about the meeting in 2015.

I hope for you and your families the happiest of the Holidays and a Blessed New Year, which seems to be coming around much too quickly these days.

Remember that living here in the Land of the Free, we have much for which to be thankful.

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