Han Shin-hee, the son of Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army soldier Han Sang-sun, on July 26 points at his father's name engraved on the "Wall of Remembrance" at a dedication ceremony for the wall's completion wall at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
By Yoon Sojung
Photos = Yonhap News
A dedication ceremony was held on July 26 to mark the completion of the "Wall of Remembrance" at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington. The wall has the names of American soldiers and those from the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army (KATUSA) program killed during the 1950-53 war.
This is the first war memorial in the U.S. to have the names of both American and non-American soldiers engraved together.
Construction of the wall began in March last year, and Korea and the U.S. jointly held the ceremony to commemorate its completion as well as the 69th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the war. This day also marks U.N. (United Nations) Forces Participation Day as designated by the Korean government and the completed construction of the memorial in 1995 by the National Parks Service in Washington.
The Wall of Remembrance comprises 100 curved granite panels engraved with the names of 43,808 fallen soldiers -- 36,634 American and 7,174 KATUSAs -- in the order of military branch, rank and alphabetical order.
The memorial housing the wall is a leading monument to Korean War veterans under direct management of the U.S. federal government. The wall's construction was led by the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation of the U.S. The Korean government funded USD 23.6 million of the project's budget of USD 24.2 million.
From Korea, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Minshik and Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-Sup attended the ceremony. Participants from the U.S. side included Second Gentleman Douglas Craig Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
About 3,000 people attended the ceremony including the bereaved families of veterans, ethnic Koreans residents of the U.S. and members of Korea-U.S. groups.
President Yoon Suk Yeol, in a congratulatory speech read by Minister Park at the ceremony, said, "This (Wall of Remembrance) is an installation work representing the strength of the Korea-U.S. blood alliance by commemorating soldiers both from the U.S. and KATUSA."
"The government and people of the Republic of Korea will forever remember your sacrifice and devotion."
"The 'Wall of Remembrance' of the Korean War symbolizes the bilateral connection and friendship forged by the war as well as the Korea-U.S. alliance that leads to greater unity between the governments and people of the two countries," the president added. "We will further strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance that was built through your sacrifices."
A flower on July 26 lays on the names engraved on the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
arete@korea.kr