Congress Remembers 60th Anniversary of Korean War In Statuary Hall Ceremony
WASHINGTON - In a solemn ceremony in the ornate Statuary Hall of the Capitol, Congress paused today to recognize the 60th anniversary of the Korean War and to pay tribute to those who served.
(Media-Newswire.com) - WASHINGTON - In a solemn ceremony in the ornate Statuary Hall of the Capitol, Congress paused today to recognize the 60th anniversary of the Korean War and to pay tribute to those who served.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi was joined by the House and Senate Leadership in hosting the commemoration ceremony which was witnessed by Members of the House and Senate, scores of U.S. military veterans, and dignitaries representing the 22 U.S. allies during the war. The event marked the beginning of the conflict on June 25, 1950, which took the lives of 37,000 American soldiers, 34,000 wounded, and 8,000 missing.
Among the honored participants expected to attend the commemoration were the five members of Congress who served in the Korean War: Reps. John Conyers, Howard Coble, Sam Johnson, Charles Rangel, and Sen. Arlen Specter.
“I commend Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House and Senate Leadership for taking the time to allow those who represent our country to thank those veterans who fought and died in one of our bloodiest, but least remembered, conflicts,” said Congressman Charles Rangel, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star veteran of Korea.
Congressman Rangel had been designated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to lead a U.S. delegation to the 60th anniversary commemoration in Seoul, South Korea. But with the uncertainty of the legislative schedule in Congress, Speaker Pelosi agreed to conduct a solemn ceremony in the Capitol, more accessible to U.S. veterans who wished to attend.
The Congressional commemoration follows the recent passage of a joint resolution introduced by Congressman Rangel honoring the contributions of those who served in Korea during the war and since. Even today, 28,000 U.S. troops are stationed in the country. The resolution is on its way to the White House for signature by President Obama.
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