Korean War Anniversary

It passed unnoticed for the most part. The Associated Press did do a story on the 59th anniversary of the ending of the shooting in the Korean War, but that was about it as far as we are aware.

The anniversary date is 10 p.m. July 27, 1953. That was last Friday when most attention was being paid to the opening ceremonies of the beginning of the Olympic games in London.

To our troops who were on the front lines, or on the seas around Korea, or at air bases where air strikes originated, July 27, 1953, is a significant date. To relatives of loved ones who were killed, wounded or reported as missing in action, the date has special meaning, along with June 25, 1950, when the war began.

North Korea, aided by China and Russia, fought South Korean forces, aided by the United States and other members of the United Nations. We offer that because so many  Americans don’t know when the war occurred and who the participants were. The U.S. carried the load for United Nations forces. The war began when communist North Korea invaded South Korea. The country had been divided after World War II as part of the treaty settlements by the victors.

North Korea apparently had a major observance of the anniversary of the armistice. Its observance was meant to kindle patriotism and loyalty in North Koreans, according to the AP story. U.S. and South Korean officials marked the anniversary at the village of Panmunjom, where peace talks were held during the war. Since no peace treaty has ever been signed, the Korean Peninsula remains technically in a state of war. The U.S. still is at war with North Korea, and we still have thousands of troops stationed in the south.

Our country has said repeatedly that normal ties will not come until after North Korea abandons its pursuit of nuclear weapons and takes other steps.

North Korea, naturally, says it won the war and called its celebration one of “victory in the Fatherland Liberation War.” Others call it a stalemate. We call it a victory for South Korea and the United Nations because the invading North Koreans were kicked back to their communist grounds, and South Korea was saved from communism.

If you want one of the best comparisons of life under a communistic government and under a democratic government where freedom reigns, take a look at Korea North and  Korea South. Life is so different in the two nations that the difference is like night and day. It’s dark most of the time in North Korea while in South Korea the freedom rays have turned it into a powerful economic machine and the people have a high standard of living. The U.S. and the United Nations are the parents of South Korea freedoms.