Although you will be reading this long after Labor Day, I am writing it on Saturday, Sept. 3. Art Sharp
(our editor) tells me that I’m way ahead of the deadline, but that is just the way I like to operate.
My office window is open. The first hint of fall is in the air. What a great time to be alive. However,
there are things that are happening right here in the USA that are troubling. We fought in Korea all those
many years ago for freedom in South Korea and its citizens’ right to determine their own form of government.
They chose democracy and freedom, rebuking Communism. A wise choice indeed.
Included with freedom is the right to free speech—within reasonable limits, i.e., it is unlawful to holler
“fire” in a crowded theatre. There are many examples of situations and circumstances within our great country
that seem to be not in keeping with our American ideals that dishonor the flag, or publicly show disrespect
while the national anthem is being played. Such actions are the height of antithesis toward patriotism.
I venture that the majority of veterans in the USA who signed a blank check when being inducted into
military service to preserve freedom, theirs and others—including the willingness to sacrifice their lives
to serve their country—find such disrespectful actions reprehensible. I had that on my chest and just needed
to say it.
I will make a conscious effort to steer away from politics in general, but disrespect or desecration
of the American flag bother me immensely, and I suspect that they bother many of you. There are many right
ways to go about correcting what we perceive to be wrongs. Being disrespectful toward our cherished American
symbols isn’t one of them. God Bless America!
Tim Whitmore, one of our KWVA National Board members, today sent me via email an article from the Hampton,
Virginia Daily Press about a brief Labor Day commemoration that was held at Hampton City Hall. Whitmore
said, “My thought was that the people who fought this war were called from their labors, so it’s not a far
reach that we celebrate what they did, both in uniform and industry, for that war.”
He characterized the war effort as a testament to the resilience of the American people. In my own case,
I was milking cows at the time I enlisted. After 3 years, 9 mos. in the USAF, guess what? I came back to
milking cows, which I detested. So I decided to get an education by working part time and making use of
the GI Bill. No more cows ever again, thank you very much!
On July 27th, at the Korean War Memorial in Washington DC, I had the honor of participating in an impressive
ceremony commemorating the 63rd anniversary of the signing of the Armistice, officially bringing hostilities
to an end in Korea. Nevertheless, sporadic instances of North Korean provocations still occur, and have
since the signing of the Armistice.
To start the ceremony, our national chaplain, Jack Keep, opened with a meaningful prayer. The off-stage
announcer’s role was ably fulfilled by our Executive Director, Mr. Jim Fisher. The guest speaker was the
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, His Excellency, Ambassador Ahn Ho-Young. I followed the Ambassador
with a few brief remarks.
Ambassador Ahn, Gay Vietski, the Superintendent of the National Park Service’s National Mall and Memorial
Parks, and I, individually placed wreaths at the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Our National KWVA Secretary,
Lew Ewing, announced the winners of the American Veterans of Korea Foundation scholarships.
Lew and his committee had taken several days to narrow over 80 applicants down to the 10 winners. Two
of the recipients were there in person to receive their $2,000 scholarships: Janell Couperthwaite and Scott
Kiewe. (The article with pictures was on page 52 of the July-August edition of The Graybeards.)
The day prior, July 26th, the KWVA Board of Directors held its first meeting of the year. Several important
decisions were made during that meeting. I will not enumerate them here, but I would urge each of you to
read and study those decisions that appear in the minutes starting on p. 10 in this edition.
I thank all the Board members and officers and Executive Director Jim Fisher for the dedication everyone
demonstrated in discussing and arriving at rational decisions that impact the future of KWVA.
I haven’t mentioned recruiting, but rest assured it is always on my mind, and I hope yours. In that context,
a list of eighteen ideas for recruiting was submitted recently by Board member Al McCarthy. All eighteen
have been referred to our Membership Chairman, David Clark, who, with his committee, is currently reviewing
and taking steps to implement as many as are determined to be feasible.
A number of those suggestions have application primarily at the chapter level. You will be hearing more
about them in the future. One I will mention here is to put an application for KWVA membership in the hands
of everyone (not already a member) who participates in an Honor Flight. Steps have already been taken to
put that idea into action.
Tom Stevens, President
Korean War Veterans Association, Inc. (KWVA/US)