Wilsonville Spokesman Online

Korean War anniversary could be their last

Ceremony scheduled for 10 a.m. June 26 at Town Center Park

• By: Patrick Johnson  
• Published: 6/25/2010 4:00:00 PM

Photo By: Michelle TeKorean War commemoration
Members of a Korean delegation place flowers at the Korean War Memorial in Town Center Park. A ceremony to remember the war's start begins Saturday morning.

This is it.

With the aging population of Korean War veterans, organizers of Saturday’s 60th anniversary commemoration of the start of the Korean War don’t expect there to be too many more opportunities to honor those who served in what has been called “The Forgotten War.”

“We are fading fast, literally this is our last hurrah, this 60th anniversary commemoration,” said Charles Lusardi,  former commander of the Department of the Korean War Veterans Association and a part of the committee  working on the event. “Most of our members are 80-plus, there are some of us that are 78 to 80, we don’t expect many of them to be around for a 65th or 70th.”

Since November 2009, event chairman Don Cohen, his fellow Korean veterans and the Korean Society of Oregon have been working on the event.

“We have put a lot of work into this, and are very happy to have so much support from the Korean Society of Oregon and other groups to make this the best event possible,” Cohen said.

The group hopes to have people remember and pay respects to the military personnel who fought in the war which ran from 1950 to 1953. The Korean War started when North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950.

Highlights from the event include a presentation from the Korean Society of Oregon of a 60th anniversary commemoration plaque and gifts to Korean veterans from the South Korean government.
During the event, speeches from U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Director of Veteran Affairs Jim Willis, Adjutant General Oregon National Guard Raymond Rees, Consul General of the Republic of South Korea Haryong Lee, Korean Society of Oregon President Myong Y. Lee and Wilsonville Mayor Tim Knapp are also scheduled.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski also signed a proclamation recognizing the date.

Cohen said a flyover by the by the Oregon Air National Guard 142nd Fighter Wing, weather depending, is scheduled.

“We have all the paperwork in and it’s been accepted,” Cohen said.

In addition there will also be entertainment by the Oregon Korean Culture Art Center, including singers, dancers and drummers.

“When we dedicated the memorial 10 years ago we were able to get about 1,200 people during a rainy day, so we are expecting anywhere from 500 to 1,500,” Lusardi said. “We think it’s going to be a pretty significant program all the way through.”

AT A GLANCE
Korean War anniversary
n 10 a.m. Saturday, June 26, Korean War Memorial, Town Center Park.

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