The July 24 through
July 27, 2010
Annual Association
Membership Meeting
plans are in this issue.
I suggest that if you are flying in for the
meeting you make reservations now to
come in at the Reagan National Airport. It
is very close to the hotel we will be using.
The hotel does have a shuttle. It runs
every 30 minutes to and from the airport
starting at 5 a.m. and ending at midnight.
I also am happy to tell you that
Congressman Sam Johnson, a Korean and
Vietnam War veteran, will be our Keynote
Speaker at the banquet. Both the reception
and the banquet are being sponsored by
the Korean Ambassador and his staff. He
will also make a short presentation during
the banquet.
The ceremonies we have set up in the
afternoon on July 27 at the National
Cemetery will be the first time that the
KWVA, Inc. will be allowed to present a
wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown on
our Special Korean War Recognition Day.
We have invited the nations that participated
in the Korean War and that have an
embassy located in Washington, D.C. to
attend. Thus, we all can honor those who
never made it home, but gave their lives to
make liberty and freedom available for all
the nations that furnished help during the
Korean War, as well as maintaining freedom
for South Korea. There will also be a
wreath presented at our monument following
the ceremony. The wreath laying will
take place next to our Korean War
Memorial during the morning.
I will be attending the National
Memorial Day Ceremony to represent the
Korean War Veterans Association, Inc.
and will place a wreath at the Tomb of the
Unknown along with Ceremonies
Chairman Tom McHugh and the Chapter
299 Color Guard. We will then place a
wreath at the Korean War Memorial.
It is quite an honor to be able to do this
as well as to show the many visitors that
veterans honor their fallen buddies as
often as possible so they are not forgotten.
I know that many chapters and at-large members
take part in Memorial Day ceremonies
in their communities. I hope you
have the opportunity to take part in a ceremony.
I know that many chapters, and
those members who do not have a chapter
nearby, participate. I “Thank You” for
doing so.
I am somewhat disappointed in the fact
that Congress has not yet supplied any
funding for the 60th Commemoration
Committee. We have, of course, not been
forgotten by the Korean government. It
has increased the revisit program—and I
understand it will be providing funds and
sponsor a group called the “Little Angels”
to tour the United States during 2010.
I had hoped that we would have them
in the Washington, D.C. area during our
meeting time. Evidently, scheduling did
not allow this to happen. They will, however,
be in the Washington, D.C. area in
June and put on a show for Korean War
veterans in the area.
This issue of The Graybeards presents
those candidates who are running for
elected positions that become vacant in
June. I ask each member to study the candidates‘
resumes for the office they wish to fill, and to vote for the ones who have
either given time and effort to help the
KWVA or have a plan to do so.
I look forward to seeing a lot more
members voting this year than the normal
2% during the past few elections. Each
vote is important, and each member, as a
veteran, has fought to maintain the freedom
to vote in many countries, but many
have neglected to vote in the Korean War
Veterans Association elections.
We know that our Annual Membership
Meeting, in conjunction with The
Gathering, which has been held every year
at this same time, will be very successful
and many veterans and their wives and
guests will attend. A lot of work has been
put forward to make this a very meaningful
and cost efficient time for a unique
group of veterans to get together. I know
you will meet many individuals and VIPs
who will also be attending.
Sign up and get your flights early, and
join in the celebration of our returning
from a victorious war which started some
60 years and one month ago.
William F. Mac Swain
National President, KWVA/US