Washington, DC--Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) issued the following statement
regarding the 60^th Anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War, also called the Forgotten War.  Rep. Engel is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  The House unanimously passed S.J. Res 32, recognizing the outbreak of hostilities in 1950 and reaffirming the strong alliance between the United States and South Korea.

“On the 60th Anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, I would like to pay tribute to the veterans and their families for their sacrifice to our nation.  We must always remember their service and know they helped protect our freedom. 

“A mistake often made is to refer to service in Korea in the past tense.  Our service men and women have been protecting South Korea since formal hostilities ended in 1953.  I can recall standing in the demilitarized zone and personally sensing the tension which overwhelms that place. 

“Today, North Korea is more dangerous than ever due to that rogue nation’s possession of nuclear weapons.  Most recently, tensions have risen between the two Koreas as the North was deemed responsible for the March 26 sinking of the South’s warship, Cheonan, and the deaths of 46 of its crew.

“We take this moment to not only assure our allies in South Korea, but also the entire world, that we stand together in support of freedom on the Korean Peninsula.  We look forward to the day when the North Korean people are able to emerge from the tragic isolation and hardship imposed by their leaders and rejoin the rest of the world.  And we must never forget the sacrifices made by American service members in defense of this part of the world.  We lost too many brave souls during the Korean War, and the sacrifices continue to this day.

“I encourage all Americans to thank the Korean War veterans they know for their service.  I also urge participation in commemorative activities nationwide to pay tribute to, and to never forget, the veterans of the Korean War.”