Commemorative Remarks Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Republic of Korea 2 August 2014, Louisville City, Kentucky State, USA Good evening Honorable Consul General Korean War Veterans and Family Members Distinguished Guests Ladies and Gentlemen…… I am very honored to be with you as the representative of Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. I would like to thank President Norwood, Korean Society and others for organizing this event… It is a very meaningful occasion for all of us who gather to honor and remember the sacrifices of those who fought, bled, went missing, and especially suffered brutal captivity during the Korean War. We are privileged to have with us one of your well known members, your historian, Mister Arden Rowley, who was 33 months a prisoner of war, and now is one of your greatest spokesmen and advocates (Mr. Rowley, Please stand up and give him a big round of applause) Proud Ex-Prisoner of War Veterans! I do not like to bring up and recall your pain, sufferings, sorrow and great sacrifice on this special occasion. But the record and the fact is clear on how all of you must have suffered so long ago, for my country, for this Great Nation and for a Better World! Nevertheless, our veteran paid a terrible price to safeguard freedom, the Korean War has often been termed the “Forgotten War.” Yet who could ever forget for a minute the great bravery, sacrifice and sufferings of the veterans here today as well as around the world, the war has never been forgotten. It is always with them! It is not a forgotten and fading memory, but a sharp reality in their hearts and minds. Indeed, many who became prisoners of war had experienced the most bitter and brutal of the fighting in Korea. We all know, the world now knows, that half of your comrades perished in those wretched prison camps, and all of you faced the greatest of dangers and deprivation, and hell, and agony for every day you were in captivity. We also know that nearly 8,000 of your comrades are still unaccounted for, and the remains of thousands still are beneath the ground at the old prison camp sites. After the Armistice Agreement, the prisoners of war began to be repatriated, the story of the bravery of all of you gradually became known, but not as well-known as it...
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