The N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs (NCDVA) reminds eligible North Carolina service members and their families to register for a national program that will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. The project is part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s June launch of “The Year of the Korean War Veteran.”
NCDVA records indicate that more than 177,000 North Carolina citizens served in Korea between June 27, 1950, and Jan. 31, 1955. It is estimated that more than 72,000 of these veterans are still living in North Carolina today, as well as many of their descendants.
Hundreds of applications have been received since the program was announced in March, said Tim Wipperman, assistant secretary for Veterans Affairs. “We would like to hear from many more, as well as their family members,” he said. “This may be one of our last chances to recognize the contributions of those who began the successful struggle to stem the tide of communism.”
NCDVA has placed a link on the Division website (http://www.doa.nc.gov/vets/KoreanWarForm.aspx ) to provide a Certificate of Appreciation signed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to all Korean War veterans and the family members who supported them.
No documentation is necessary and the form can be filled out and submitted online by the veteran, family member or a friend. Requests for certificates may also be downloaded and mailed to: Korean War Veterans Certificate, N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs, 1315 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1315.
According to NCDVA, North Carolina recorded 968 deaths in service during the conflict, of which 784 were battle deaths. An additional 2,272 service members were wounded; 109 were taken as prisoners of war (POWs), and 204 were designated as Missing in Action.
In addition to the Certificate of Appreciation, the U.S. Department of Defense encourages any Korean War veteran who would like to share his or her story with the Korean War Commemoration Committee’s oral history project to visit http://koreanwar.defense.gov/ or call 703-545-0522.