The Korean War: 1950-Present

Most Americans don't have a clue.

True, a cease-fire, an armistice, was signed in July of 1953, and that ended the major hostilities between the United Nations and the Chinese and North Korean governments, but to say that the armistice "ended" the war is to imply that "peace" now exists on the Korean peninsula. See if this describes a nation "at peace":

• Since July, 1954, more than 40,000 violations of the ceasefire agreement have been reported to the UN Command Military Armistice Committee at Pan Mun Jom (UNCMAC). This includes everything from distributing propaganda leaflets to firing automatic weapons and light artillery pieces across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).
• During that same time period, more than 100 American military personnel have been Killed in Action (KIA) on the Korean peninsula , either through direct combat action or by mines and booby-traps emplaced by North Korea

  The most recent US KIA was in 1994, when North Korea shot down an unarmed U.S. Observation helicopter over the DMZ. 1 pilot was killed, the other was injured and held prisoner for over a week

• More than 1100 US Military personnel have died of non-combat causes (typically accidents and disease) in the same time period

Does this sound like a nation "At Peace"?

Click here for a table of specific combat actions in Korea since 1954.

Despite all of this, and despite the fact that more American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines have been killed in Korea since the "end" of the Korean war than were killed in The Dominican Republic (1967), Grenada (1983), Panama (1989) and Somalia (1993-4) Combined , the United States government does not officially "recognize" Korea as a "combat zone."

The Korea Defense Veterans Alliance has been formed to lobby congress to get the same recognition for post-1954 Korea vets as has been given to veterans of other "Stability missions" and "peacekeeping operations" as The Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Haiti and the Former Yugoslavia.

Every one of those conflicts was designated as a hostile-fire area, and personnel deployed there had their service recognized by the award of a campaign medal. The KDVA isn't asking for any "special treatment", only that the service and sacrifice of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines deployed to Korea be recognized for what it was: A deployment to a combat zone.

As a veteran of two "recognized" deployments (Haiti and the Former Yugoslavia) as well as three separate tours in Korea (1990, 1991-92, 2000) I can attest that I was never in more danger on those deployments than when I was in Korea.

If you ever served in Korea, or knew someone who did, or just believe that Service Members who put themselves in harms way in the service of freedom should have that service recognized, I urge you to join the Korea Defense Veterans Alliance.

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