Korea Post-Armistice Information

Introduction

Hostilities in Korea did not end in 1953. A cease-fire took effect on July 27, 1953, but no peace treaty was ever signed between the warring countries. Since that cease fire, over a million troops from the United States have served in Korea. Many of them were stationed on the demilitarized zone (DMZ)—a narrow strip of land that separates Communist North Korea from the Republic of Korea. On that same strip of land, dozens of American veterans have been wounded and killed since the open war activities of 1950-1953 ceased. In fact, from 1961 to 2010 alone, 89 United States veterans died on the Korean peninsula. This page of the Korean War Educator is dedicated to those Americans who served in Korea after July 27, 1953.

Our Post-Armistice section is constantly under construction. Post-Armistice veterans are invited to help build this page as a means to educate the general public about the fact that, though open hostilities in Korea "officially" ended in 1953, the DMZ has always been and still remains a perilous duty station for American armed forces. It is a place where American military personnel have been maimed and murdered. Always remember that freedom is not free—even after government officials say that the war is "over."

It is important for our readers to know that several veterans have compiled information that has been used to make the KWE's list of post-armistice deaths possible.  Martin "Marty" O'Brien (late of Maine) created a book entitled, "The Forgotten War: Forgotten Soldiers of a Forgotten War....No Longer Forgotten!"  His book discusses 98 post-war deaths; 34,461 validated deaths; 17,355 other deaths; and 2,452 un-validated deaths. It also questions other government statistics. 

Included in Marty's book were the following sources: 

1. Headquarters, Eight U.S. Army, June 1996; Eight U.S. Army Staff Historian’s Office, November 1970;
2. Naval Military Personnel Command, 1996;
3. VFW Magazine, "Fighting Brush Fires on Korea’s DMZ," August 1996;
4. C. David Benbow, author, Statesville, N.C.; and
5. Tom Murray, Jr., 3375 N. Fairfax St. #66, Kingman, Arizona, has compiled a list of deaths in Korea for the years 1966-1969; most of the deaths occurred in or around the DMZ.

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To post your photographs and non-fictional materials about Post-Armistice activities in Korea, contact us.