In God We Trust
The veterans' memoirs and short stories on this page of the Korean War Educator are posted as a means to educate the public about the Korean War. The memoirs found on the KWE are full-length and cover the veteran's lifespan from birth to present. Short stories tell about a particular segment of a veteran's life.
Korean War veterans are a unique breed. Those who served their country during the active war years 1950 to 1953 grew up in the Depression and had experienced World War II, either in the military or on the home front. They grew up in a time of high patriotism--a time when duty, honor, country were meaningful words. When their tour of duty ended, most of them returned to the States with little fanfare, picked up their pre-war lives, and carried on with them. Too few of them have talked about their Korean War experiences. Talking about them was often too painful—and who cared anyway?
From March 2003 to February 2007, there were 3,144 American casualties in Iraq. From June of 1950 to July of 1954, the number of in-theatre American casualties in Korea was 33,691. No matter what the casualty count, the price of freedom has always been higher than those who have never fought for it can possibly imagine. We encourage our visitors to read the memoirs and short stories found on this page of the KWE. When you do, you will realize that war is miserable and horrible, and that the freedom those of us living in the United States experience today is a precious thing--its high price paid for with the blood and tears and skill of our veterans. (When was the last time you thanked one?)
Please note that the copyrights to the memoirs and short stories found on the Korean War Educator are legally held by the Korean War Educator Foundation, private individuals, the Museum Association of Douglas County in Tuscola, Illinois (Douglas County Museum), the Camargo Township Library in Villa Grove, Illinois, and/or nationally-known magazines. While we sincerely hope that our readers enjoy reading and learning from them, the memoirs and short stories cannot be used for publishing or for-profit purposes without the written permission of the entity that holds the copyright on them. For further information, contact us.