Don’t accept it as the ‘Forgotten War’

Dear American Legion Family and Friends,

The Korean War can never be forgotten. It was the portal to a changed global reality – deterrence of communist aggression with a new hitch, the threat of atomic weapons. And yet, it was a war fought largely on the ground, in the air and at sea. It was also the first major military conflict for the U.S. Air Force and for head-to-head jet combat.

Those who served there almost universally describe the extremes of bitter cold, miserable heat, inadequate equipment, outdated weapons and poor provisions. And yet, through sheer determination, Americans succeeded in pushing back the invading enemy.

The Korean War struck at a time of American prosperity, spurred by the GI Bill and the post-World War II baby boom. Suburban barbecues, however, would have to wait for those went to the peninsula to drive communist forces back across the 38th Parallel after their 1950 invasion.

The American Legion has had upwards of 1 million members who served in the Korean War over the decades. The number who are active and paid up for 2022, however, has dropped to 168,556.

We owe it to future generations to collect, preserve and share their stories while firsthand accounts are still available.

The American Legion Media & Communications Commission is calling for submissions to its Legiontown website. To share yours, visit Legiontown.org and select the category MY KOREAN WAR STORY to contribute.

Selections from those submissions will be used in an upcoming special issue of The American Legion Magazine as well as the national website at legion.org. The project seeks stories of post namesakes, members, families, community remembrances, troop support during the war and more. All submissions are easy to share on social media, too, so more people – today and tomorrow – can learn our Korean War story.

Help us “preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in all wars” and specifically share with others why the so-called “Forgotten War” needs to be remembered now and forever.

For God and Country,

Paul E. Dillard

American Legion National Commander