This weekend marks the 61st anniversary of the cease-fire between North and South Korea effectively ending America’s military role in that three year conflict.
More than 36,000 Americans lost their lives in the Korean War including eleven men from Kent County.
Sunday, a new memorial inscribed with their names will be dedicated at the county’s Memorial Park in Dover.
Dave Skocik, public affairs director for the Delaware Council of the Vietnam Veterans of America, says his group reached out to veterans of other wars after dedicating their own memorial in 2009.
“And about a year ago, the Korean War veterans said that they would like to place a memorial in there and we extended open arms and said, come on in, we’ll help you with fundraising. We believe that this is important.”
The two groups banded together to raise $10,000 by selling bricks which were placed at the site. The new Korean War Memorial is made of black stone, stands just over three feet high and is in the shape of Delaware.
Skocik says he believes now is the time to honor Korean War veterans.
“Korean War veterans, some of them are also World War two veterans, you know, they’re kind of following in that direction in terms of age wise," said Skocik. "Most of them are in their eighties or late seventies and we thought it would be very appropriate to honor what was called the silent conflict, the silent war.”
Skocik adds Korean War veterans are often overlooked because the three year conflict is obscured in the public mind by World War II and the Vietnam War.
The ceremony’s keynote speaker will be Doctor Daniel Coons, a Korean war veteran who served as an Army intelligence analyst. Coons is nationally known as the founder of the Airway Science Program at Delaware State University.
The dedication takes place at 2 pm at Kent County Memorial Park on South Little Creek Road in Dover. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.