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The 'Forgotten War'

June 25 marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. This week, Education World looks at five Web sites that pay tribute to the "forgotten war" and the men and women who served in Korea.


On June 25, 1950, the Communist North Korean People's Army invaded South Korea. The United Nations asked member countries to aid South Korea, and President Harry Truman announced that the United States would intervene. The president decided not to ask Congress for a formal declaration of war. Without the Congressional approval given World War II or the public debate over the Vietnam War, the Korean War has often received only cursory attention from the media, educators, and the public. As the 50th anniversary of the start of the war approaches, it is clear that the "forgotten war" has never really been forgotten, least of all by the people who fought it.

Korean War 50th Anniversary Homepage
http://korea50.army.mil/
The official Web site for the Department of Defense commemoration of the anniversary is fine place to start looking for information. The site is much more than a list of events scheduled for the official commemorative period, which runs from June 25, 2000, through July 27, 2003. It offers an impressive collection of material that includes a time line of the war, a list of Medal of Honor recipients, biographies, and maps.

Korean War Veterans National Museum & Library
http://www.theforgottenvictory.org/
The official Web site of the Korean War Veterans National Museum and Library, in Tuscola, Illinois, has plenty of interesting material. Click on Get Educated! to view documents, narratives, and correspondence. You'll find information on a variety of topics, including the history of the war, the Korean national flag, and such historical figures as Dwight D. Eisenhower and General Douglas MacArthur. Remember Our DMZ Veterans provides background on the "second" Korean conflict, the little-known continuation of hostilities in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which continued long after the end of the Korean War in 1953.

The Korean War: A Radio Man's Story.
http://www.dnaco.net/~csmartin/kwar.html
If you're looking for a smaller and more-personal resource, try the Web site of Cecil H. Martin, a veteran of the Korean War. Features of the site include a poem by Martin, his personal history, and many photographs taken by him during his tour in Korea.

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Lauren P. Gattilia
Education World®
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Updated 10/26/2001