American Legion Post 13 in Utah provides Cold War medals, lifetime memberships to group of Korean War veterans.
Years ago, Utah Legionnaire Randy Edwards developed an appreciation for Korean War veterans. That led him to honoring them around Christmas that year and then taking that appreciation to another level earlier this month.
A past Department of Utah commander and past national vice commander, Edwards spearheaded an effort by American Legion Post 13 in Provo to honor more than a dozen Korean War veterans and their families with both a Cold War Medal and a free lifetime membership in the post. An added bonus: American Legion National Commander Dan K. Wiley, who was on his official visit to the department, was on hand to take part in the event.
Edwards said that Korean War veterans have been special to him since the release of "Korea Reborn: A Grateful Nation Honors War Veterans for 60 Years of Growth,” a commemorative book published in 2013 that documents the transformation of South Korea from war-torn ruin into a prosperous nation, while also honoring Korean War veterans.
“I had a list of Korean War veterans that I knew weren’t coming out to The American Legion. I hadn’t seen them. I just wanted to make sure that they were recognized. So my wife and I at Christmas that year wrapped up 34 “Korea Reborn” books and hand delivered those. And at that time there was a (Korean War) coin, and we coined them when we gave them the book at Christmas.
“They had tears in their eyes. It was so exciting. For my wife and I, it was the best Christmas we ever had, being able to recognize our Korean War veterans. Over the years I’ve considered, ‘You know what. We need to bring that back.’”
Edwards said he thought that during the year of the nation’s 250th birthday would be a good time to honor those Korean War veterans who are often referred to having fought in the “forgotten war.”
“I wanted to honor our (Korean War) veterans because they’re all in their late 80s and early 90s. I just brought that to our post and said that we need to recognize them. I said, ‘Let’s give them the Cold War Medal and give them a lifetime membership.’ They’ve earned it.”
Providing the lifetime membership came about because Edwards said he included American Legion membership applications in his Christmas care packages in 2013. He said all 34 veterans joined the organization, so he wanted to thank them by providing free lifetime memberships at the recognition ceremony. “They need to have lifetime memberships because they’ve been members for years,” he said.
The event took place at the Historic Courthouse in Provo, where the national commander was in attendance.
“When you look at World War II veterans and Korean War veterans, they’re the ones that really set the example for the rest of us,” Wiley said at the ceremony. “They were the real heroes that served during that era. And when you stop and think about it, we are losing them every day. And so it’s important, I think, to take the time to recognize the service that they gave to this country.”
Having the national commander present was an added touch. “I never expected that,” Edwards said. “The timing was just perfect. It made that event even more special.”
Edwards said that those veterans honored that night were thankful for being recognized. “They said, ‘We never thought anybody thought our war was important,’” he said. “Even though some of them were a little bit humbled and didn’t think they earned it, I told them they did a long time ago. This was just a long time coming and well deserved. They needed to be recognized, and this was a great time to do it on our semiquincentennial for our country.
“It was hard to hold back my tears because of their tears. I was honored that they were honored. It made me feel good that they felt like somebody cared and they were being recognized. And it was a good feeling that their families could see them honored.”
And although the event was his idea, Edwards praised Post 13 for having his back. “The post supported it 100 percent,” he said. “(The post) was the one that made sure we paid for their membership and made that ceremony happen.”
- Honor & Remembrance