Remember727

More photos from the 17th Annual National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Commemoration in the Cannon Caucus Room! Thank you to all who attended in-person or watched on livestream.

🎥For a recording of the livestream, see: https://fb.watch/tDVkAN--6E/

📰To read the full post on the 17th Annual event, see: https://www.facebook.com/100069314323364/posts/801741402146330/?mibextid=WC7FNe

📷Photo Credit: Josh Shin

Almost 300 people, including lawmakers, veterans, and community leaders, gathered at the Cannon Cacus Room in the U.S. Congress, on July 24th, Wednesday evening, to attend the 17th Annual National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Commemoration, to honor veterans and promote peace.

The evening began with a vibrant performance by the Nanta drummers, high school students from Los Angeles affiliated with the Hwarang Youth Foundation. The program started exactly at 6:25pm, signifying the start of the Korean War on June 25, 1950, with the audience singing the U.S. National Anthem led by Commanders of local veteran service organizations, representing the VFW, American Legion and AMVETS.

U.S. Representative Young Kim, the main honorary co-sponsor of the event and a champion of the U.S.-Korean alliance, provided opening remarks. She was followed by Congresswoman Grace Meng, who represents Flushing, NY, discussed her legislative work on the Korean American Divided Families bill and her deep connection to the Korean community. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, representing Koreatown in Los Angeles, and Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, a staunch advocate for veterans, also addressed the gathering.

The ceremony featured the presentation of the Ambassador of Peace Medal by Consul General Jo Gi-joong from the South Korean government. The medal is awarded to honor individuals who have served with distinction in the Korean War.

The recipients included:

Remigio A. Cabacar, a 97-year-old U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War;

Mitchell Murry Jr., a veteran of the 40th Infantry Division, accompanied by his daughter Alfreda Alexander, a U.S. Air Force veteran;

Jermaine McDonald, accepting the medal on behalf of his father Ellis Reed McDonald, a U.S. Marine who earned the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with Valor;

Rex Labrador, honored in memory of his father Celedonio Labrador, who served in both World War II and the Korean War; and

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, recognized in honor of his father Vicente Gonzalez Sr., a Merchant Marine who fought in Korea.

The evening also featured remarks by the oldest veteran in attendance, Remigio A. Cabacar, recounting his experience in the Korean War, as well as an essay reading by Kevin Scully, a junior at James Madison University, who was awarded a $2,000 scholarship by the Orange County Korean War Memorial Committee.

The highlight of the event was the candle-lighting at 7:27 p.m., in remembrance of the armistice agreement signed on July 27, 1953. Attendees lit battery-operated candles and observed a moment of silence and reflection while listening to flutist Maddie Choi performing the traditional Korean folk song "Arirang," which is sung today in both North and South Korea, symbolizing hope for unity on the Peninsula that painfully remains divided by the Korean War.

The event concluded with closing remarks by leaders representing the co-host organizations:Korean American Grassroots Conference - KAGC, Council of Korean Americans (CKA), Korea Economic Institute, The Korea Society, Federation of Korean Associations, USA, Hwarang Youth Foundation, and Remember727.

Special acknowledgments were given to all veterans in attendance, and a heartfelt thank you to LG, who sponsored the event.

The evening also featured an exhibition of photographs from the Korean War by Lim In-Sik, South Korea’s first war photographer and a display of The Star Spangled Banner and Taegukki by calligrapher Kwon Myoung Won.

More photos of the event (and audience!) can be accessed and downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/rq5y # # /AE6f3ESq_9rG4tCj8WjA5NU?rlkey=ei7ziu8mynzf2isywqwsrrbau&st=tfj1h5oh&dl=0

👆Photo credit: KEI's Media Producer Sam de Vignier-Awad and Communications Intern Grace Lim

📷 First 14 photos in this post taken by Levi Tillemann

Last week I braved the 100+ degree heat 🥵 to join a group of North Korean defectors in a wreathlaying ceremony at the KWV Memorial—which was so special and worth every sweat (and sunspot).

The defectors were part of a 16-member delegation (9 NGO leaders, 7 special witnesses) visiting DC from Korea as part of the 21st Annual North Korea Freedom Week— to promote the freedom, human rights, and dignity of the North Korean people — hosted by the inimitable Suzanne Scholte who has been indefatigably fighting for NK human rights for over two decades. (I’ve always admired her passion and dedication.)

I was humbled to share my story with these incredibly brave group of defectors—how I journeyed across six continents to thank KWV “Grandpas” and why I’m devoted to honoring Korean War Veterans and promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The following day, the delegation members testified at a congressional event. I was deeply humbled by their harrowing experiences of escaping North Korea to seek freedom in South Korea— at great peril, risking their lives and their families’ livelihoods. One man rowed 28 hours across the Imjin River; another traversed the forest with his two-year-old daughter on his back; many of the women were repatriated to North Korea by the Chinese and suffered imprisonment before eventually fleeing to South Korea.

I was especially moved to hear one of the defectors mention how touched he was to read the inscription at the KWM: FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.

Indeed. Someone died for our freedoms. Specifically, more than 36,524 American Korean War Veterans died for mine. So did many more from the other UN nations that fought in the Korean War. 🌺

I am supremely grateful that I was not born in North Korea…that I didn’t have to flee for my freedom…that I am an American. 🇺🇸

May North Korea become free one day.
May Korea unite one day.
May there be peace on Earth.🕊️

Today is the last day to apply for the Hwarang Youth Foundation Scholarship! We invite descendants of Korean War Veterans to apply for a $1,500 scholarship for high school students and a $2,000 scholarship for college and graduate students. Please complete the application form online at https://t.ly/hwarang727 by the extended deadline of July 15, 2024

More information : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rinadBbgQ8m9jx4wuTzYIFM5eyaRxs12iNia6H14BJo/edit?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1TxCyuWmu6QixFoE1J5kNp1dXquCnQR0Figcp8sZKyqK501f124ycoTJI_aem_7Htmtyahi0y_OBrX-3_uyg

Google Forms: Sign-in Access Google Forms with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

Remember727 is proud to partner with The Hwarang Youth Foundation in inviting descendants of Korean War Veterans to apply for a $1500 scholarship (for high school students) and $2000 scholarship for college/grad school students.

Scholarships will be awarded at the National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Commemoration -- on July 24th evening (6-8pm ET) at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C; or on July 27th evening (6-8pm PT) at the Orange County Korean War Veterans Memorial in Fullerton (LA region).

***Complete the application form online at https://t.ly/hwarang727 by July 15, 2024 (extended deadline).

Scholarship Eligibility Requirements
Students will be required to submit a 500-600 word essay about the impact and/or significance of their Grandfather’s service in the Korean War.

The applicant should be:
1. Direct descendants of an American Korean War Veteran who served in Korea from June 25, 1950 - January 31, 1955 (Korean War Era, as designated by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs);
2. Enrolled as a full-time student during the 2024-25 academic year;
3. Able to attend the Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC on July 24th or in LA/OC region on July 27th.

Timeline
Applications Available Online: June 1, 2024
Application & Recommendations Deadline: July 15, 2024
Announcement of Awardees: July 17, 2024
Award Ceremony: July 24, 2024

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rinadBbgQ8m9jx4wuTzYIFM5eyaRxs12iNia6H14BJo/edit?usp=sharing

***Please share this announcement widely.

Remember727 & Hwarang Foundation Korean War Veteran Scholarship Hwarang Youth Foundation Scholarship for Descendants of American Korean War Veterans The Hwarang Youth Foundation (“HWARANG”), a Korean American nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, CA, is pleased to invite descendants of Korean War Veterans to apply for a scholarship in honor of ...

Today, June 25th marks the anniversary of the start of the Korean War in 1950. Sadly, after almost 75 years the war has still not ended and the two Koreas remain divided. Today, we remember the so-called “Forgotten War” and honor the 1.8 million American men and women who “answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.” We also pay special tribute to Colonel Young Oak Kim who was born in Los Angeles in 1919, and became the first minority officer to command an Army battalion on the battlefield in U.S. history. For his heroism in both WWII and the Korean War, he received 19 medals including the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, and (posthumously) the Korean Taeguk Cordon of the Order of Military Merit.

Please join us as we reflect on the significance of the Korean War at the 17th Annual 727 Armistice Day Commemoration on the evening (6-8pm) of Wednesday, July 24, 2024, taking place at the Cannon Caucus Room (Room 390) inside the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC 20003. There will be Korean traditional performances, remarks by Members of Congress, and a light dinner with beverages.

This year will be extra special as it marks the 15th anniversary of the enactment of a bill that created the National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day (July 27th) in the United States in 2009. We hope you can join us to honor Korean War Veterans and light a candle (at 7:27pm) as we remember the sacrifices that were made during the Korean War and hope for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Co-hosts: Council of Korean Americans (CKA), Hwarang Youth Foundation, Federation of Korean Associations USA, Korean American Grassroots Conference (KAGC), Korea Economic Institute (KEI), The Korea Society, Remember727

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2024년 7월 24일 수요일 저녁 6시에서 8시 사이에 미 국회 내 캐논 코커스 룸 (390호)에서 열리는 제17회 727 정전 기념식에 초대합니다. 이 행사에는 한국 전통 공연, 국회의원의 환영사, 그리고 가벼운 저녁과 음료가 준비되어 있습니다.

올해는 2009년 미국에서 7월 27일을 국가 한국전 참전 용사 정전 기념일로 제정한 지 15주년을 기념하는 특별한 해입니다. 한국전 참전 용사들을 존경하고, 한국전 중 희생된 이들을 추모하며, 한반도 평화를 기원하는 데 양초를 (오후 7시27분 정각에) 점등할 수 있는 자리에 함께하실 수 있기를 바랍니다.

공동 주최: 미주한인위원회 (Council of Korean Americans-CKA), 화랑 청소년 재단 (Hwarang Youth Foundation), 미주한인회총연합회 Federation of Korean Associations, 미주한인유권자연대 (Korean American Grassroots Conference-KAGC), 한미경제연구소 (Korea Economic Institute of America-KEI), The Korea Society (코리아 소사이어티), 리멤버727 (Remember727)

For the 16th Armistice Day event we are grateful to partner with Korea Economic Institute(KEI),Council of Korean Americans (CKA), Korean American Grassroots(KAGC). Hope you can share widely and join us on July 27th!

Thank you everyone for attending the 15th Annual Armistice Vigil and Commemoration. As it is Remember727's tradition, at 7:27pm we lit a candle to honor veterans and promote peace to symbolize the start and end of the fighting in the Korean War.

The event was more meaningful this year as it took place on the same day that the Wall of Remembrance was dedicated to the Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC. The Wall inscribes the names of the 36,574 Americans killed in the Korean War, and more than 7,100 South Koreans who also died while serving in the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army (KATUSA). North Korean students from the U.S. Culture and English Immersion Program for North Korean Defector Youth Program sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and administered by American Councils for International Education also attended and had a chance to learn more about Korean War.

For the first time, South Koreans have joined Remember727’s annual efforts to commemorate the Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, which marks the fateful day the ceasefire agreement was signed on July 27, 1953. We would like to extend a big thanks' to -UN Supporters(부경UN서포터즈 평화봉사단). who have supported Remember727’s efforts in the past, including translation of the video interviews of the Korean War veterans featured on the Remember727 YouTube channel.

Honor veterans. Promote peace.

This year, Remember727 and the Council of Korean Americans, with the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation - KWVMF, invite you to join us at the National Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance in Washington, D.C. for the 15th Annual Armistice Day Commemoration & Vigil. For the first time, South Koreans will join Remember727’s annual efforts to commemorate the Korean War Veterans Armistice Day in South Korea(United Nations Peace Park in Busan). Also, this event is taking place on the same day that the Wall of Remembrance will be dedicated to being added to the Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC.

We will meet there, rain or shine, on July 27, 2022 at 6:25 PM - 7:27 PM ET. Flowers and candles will be provided.

Can't make it in person? CKA will stream the vigil live 📲 on Facebook(Council of Korean Americans (CKA) | Facebook) from 7 PM - 7:27 PM on July 27 hosted by CKA member Hannah Kim.
Honor Veterans. 🎖️🕊️ Promote Peace.

Please watch Remember 727 & UN Supporters video dedicated to Korean War Veterans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGCRHXc4_jM

Remember727 x PKUN in Busan with English subtitles 💙Remember727 Project💙As the second project that follows last year, Hannah Kim and UN supporters, who record and inform the stories of veterans from 22 coun...

72 years after the war broke out on this fateful day (6.25) in 1950...the two Koreas still remain divided, families separated and veterans unaccounted for. More than 40,000 people from 30 nations worldwide died in the Korean War (June 25, 1950 - July 27, 1953). We honor them as we hope for peace. Please visit Korean War Memorial Online website https://koreanwarmemorials.com/
❤️

There’s no way to thank our veterans for everything they sacrifice for our freedom, but on Veterans Day, we have to try. So thank you to all our service men and women, both past and present!

Between 2017 and 2019, Hannah Y Kim traveled a total of 132,100 miles across 6 continents in 30 countries that participated in the Korean War (1950-1953) and, in the United States, all 50 states and U.S. Territories of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the American Samoa.

Here is a video featuring her visit to Canada to meet Korean War veterans to promote peace and honor veterans. ❤

https://youtu.be/cWumBi70Kwg

캐나다의 한 할아버지가 한국인 만나고 고개 숙인채 조용히 눈물흘린 이유 영상을 공유해준 한나 김 대표님에게 감사드립니다!공홈: https://www.remember727.org유튜브: https://www.youtube.com/c/Remember727/featured여러분의 '좋아요'와 '구독'은 영상제작에 큰 힘이 됩니다. 시청해주셔서 감사합니다.'...

This is an entry titled "6.25에 대한 기억" submitted by Cho Sunghoon from South Korea. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "Never Forget and Not Forgotten" submitted by Belinda Morse from United States. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "함께 계양해 본 태극기" submitted by Park Yoonhyoung from United States. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "Letters From a Korean Foxhole" submitted by Elizabeth Venturini from United States. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "Freedom is not free" submitted by Jung Chunsan from South Korea. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "The Land of the Morning Calm Revisited" submitted by Michael “Mike” Glazzy from United States. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "Remembering Korean War 71 Year Anniversary of the Korean War Breakout" submitted by Han Joon Tae from Canada. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "The Smile of a War Memory" submitted by Yolanda Ortiz from Colombia. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "영원히 지지않는 캐나다의 별 한국전 참전용사 전사자 Russell Oscar Haraldson 를 추모하며" submitted by Han Joon from Canada. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "B-29 refueling plane 1951" submitted by John Schobelock from United States. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "반성문" submitted by Jeong Sol from Thailand. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "Multiple Photo Essay" submitted by Bereket Alemayehu from South Korea. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "에티오피아에서 만난 위대한 영웅들" submitted by Cho Jangsok from Canada. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!

This is an entry titled "Empathy" submitted by Bryan (Grandpa) Edwards from Australia. Check out his entry!
Thanks for participating in the Korean War Photo and Video Contest!