Dixon veterans from the American Legion Post 208 and VFW Post 8151 opened this year’s Lambtown Festival with a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. On Saturday morning, a honor guard involving 4 Dixon Korea Vets presented the commemorative colors, followed by the raising of the American Flag, Korean Armistice 50th Anniversary Commemorative Flag, and POW/MIA flags at the main courtyard of the May Fair Grounds. Nialani Green sang the Star Spangled Banner while the flags were raised. American Legion Post Commander Bob Havlin and VFW Post Commander Jim Harris spoke of our duty to remember the sacrifice of those 1,587,040 Americans who fought for our freedom and also those who gave their lives in that conflict so long ago. A 21-gun salute paid tribute to the 36,560 other Americans killed in this action and the almost 8,200 missing who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our liberty while the flags were lowered to half-staff as Alex Henderson played "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes. We remembered Dixon’s Korean War casualties:
June 25, 1950 marked the beginning of a war that was to be like no other. Many years have passed since the end of the Chosin Reservoir Campaign in North Korea. The American public has all but forgotten the violence and valor that took place there at the fighting man's level. The fiftieth anniversary of the Korean War gives both the armed forces and the nation an opportunity to honor those veterans who served in that bitter war. The battle continues along the present demilitarized zone. The location of this line largely above the 38th Parallel is historic evidence that in Korea, aggression did not pay. In Korea the American soldier with his Korean and United Nations allies fought with bravery and skill against his communist foes. From 1950 to 1953, the United States joined with United Nations forces in Korea to take a stand against what was deemed a threat to democratic nations worldwide. At war's end, a million and a half American veterans returned to a peacetime world of families, homes, and jobs - and to a country long reluctant to view the Korean War as something to memorialize. But to the men and women who served, the Korean War could never be a forgotten war. We remember the armistice that was signed Fifty years ago on July 27, 1953. The passing of more than five decades has brought a new perspective to the war and its aftermath. The time has come, in the eyes of the Nation, to set aside a place of remembrance for the people who served in this hard-fought war half a world away. We honor those Americans who answered the call, those who worked and fought under the trying of circumstances, and those who gave their lives for the cause of freedom. America’s Korean War Casualty Figures:
Find out more about the 50th Anniversary Commemoration at http://www.korea50.mil/. The American Legion Post 208, founded in 1920, was established to help local veterans and their families, as well as local children and youth, and foster a sense of pride and Americanism. Membership is open to any service member who has served in a time of conflict. Post 208 meets on the first Wednesday of the month in the Veterans Memorial Hall at 231 N. First Street at 7 PM. Post 8151 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, chartered in 1987, was established to assist veterans through community service programs and special projects, such as providing free phone cards to our nation's active-duty military personnel to raising money for the World War II memorial, "honoring the dead by helping the living." Membership is open to any service member who has served overseas in a conflict or in Korea. Post 8151 meets on the third Thursday of the month in the Veterans Memorial Hall at 231 N. First Street at 7:30 PM. For more information on Dixon Veterans organizations and their activities, visit their web site at www.DixonVeterans.org. Pictures by Doris Kilkenny. (click on a picture to enlarge it)
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