After World War II, the Korean peninsula was divided in two by the 38th parallel. The Soviet Union occupied the Northern zone, and the U.S. occupied the south. As ideologies clashed between both zones, so did instability. On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations condemned this invasion offensive and soon thereafter the war began with Gen. Douglas MacArthur as supreme commander.
The war lasted for three years, and many Americans gave their lives. The war was unpopular here in the States, which played a significant role in Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidential appointment. He pledged to put an end to the war and did so via the signing of an armistice on July 27, 1953. American troops suffered over 33,000 battle deaths, over 8,000 unaccounted for service personnel, over 7,000 prisoners of war and more than 103,000 wounded personnel. Chinese and Korean casualties are estimated to be at least 10 times higher.
There are over 11,000 veterans of wars living in Richland County; 678 of them are World War II veterans; and 1,164 of them are Korean War veterans. In Ohio, there are approximately 90,000 Korean War veterans. The age range of Korean War veterans is 82-85.
The local Korean War Veterans Association Chapter 51 Color Guard aids its veterans in a number of ways. Burial details are taken care of, including a 21 gun salute at the funeral. They also present flags to the family who lost the loved one. They frequently travel to schools in the area to speak to students about the war and the association.