It's hard to imagine that a war in which millions fought and died can be known as the Forgotten War, but that is one moniker that has been given to the Korean War.

The war, which was fought from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953, was fought on the Korean Peninsula between North Korea and South Korea. North Korea was aided by China, and South Korea was backed by the United States and other countries under the United Nations flag.

In a century that saw two world wars plus wars in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf, somehow the Korean War and those who fought in it were not given their full recognition and appreciation when the war ended.

North Korean forces invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950. The United Nations asked for troops to end the aggression. President Harry Truman ordered U.S. Navy and Air Force personnel to Korea on June 27 of that year and approved ground forces and air strikes against North Korea on June 30. Ultimately, almost 34,000 Americans would be killed in Korea, with more than 3,000 non-combat deaths.

Due to the efforts of all who fought for South Korea's position, the U.S. and South Korea have continued their positive and fruitful relationship. North Korea, on the other hand, remains a dangerous state, where famine and a threatening government contribute to an unstable world.


As the years have passed, the United States has done more to honor its Korean War veterans, including building a Korean War Veterans Memorial, which was dedicated on July 27, 1995.

Recently, a bipartisan group of members of the U.S. Senate's Armed Services Committee sponsored a resolution recognizing the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War and the designation of 2012-2013 as the Year of the Korean War Veteran.

"Nearly 2 million Americans fought in the Korean War, and more than 120,000 of them were killed or wounded in action," said Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, a co-sponsor of the resolution. "I have deep respect for all those who left behind their families and friends to protect a distant country from the spread of communism."