2006 News
July 27, 2006
Bucks County Korean War Memorial Hosts Seventh Annual Ceremony of Remembrance and Wreath Laying
Although some historians still refer to the Korean War as the “Forgotten War,” Bucks County officials – in conjunction with the Korean War Veterans Association Yong Dung Po Chapter 114 – continue to honor the memory of county residents who both served and gave their lives during that military conflict.
On the 53 rd anniversary of the Korean armistice, Bucks County Commissioners James F. Cawley, Esq., Charles H. Martin and Sandra A. Miller issued a proclamation declaring July 27 “Bucks County War Veterans Armistice Day” throughout the county. The ceremony, which drew a crowd of approximately 200 to the Courthouse lawn, doubled as the seventh anniversary of the Bucks County Korean War Memorial – the first of its kind in the tri-state area.
“The Korean war was a tribute to our nation’s dedication to the principles of liberty, equality and justice,” Cawley told the veterans, their families and fellow dignitaries as they sipped county-supplied cold bottled water inside a large, shadowy tent. “ Korea was where we stood up and said, ‘We do believe in equality and justice.’ “
Cawley praised the 38 Bucks County residents (representing the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force) who “paid the ultimate sacrifice,” losing their lives during the Korean War.
The Bucks County Korean War Memorial was conceived by veterans during the late 1990’s, when a group approached Martin, Miller and former Commissioner Michael G. Fitzpatrick “with a piece of granite” and a vision of memorializing their fallen comrades.
“I have attended all of these ceremonies, and it’s getting to be a tradition,” Martin said. “You’ve really established something.”
Following a wreath laying at the memorial stone, the commissioners joined veterans in laying 38 long-stem roses upon the site, which bears the message, “Freedom Is Not Free.” As the roses were placed in a formation evocative of a military drill, a bell tolled for each of the fallen Bucks Countians.
According to historical figures, more than 34,000 Americans were killed on Korean battlefields. Another 102,000 were injured, and an estimated 8,000 were classified “Prisoners of War” or “Missing in Action.” A solitary, unoccupied table with a military helmet, an upside-down glass, a china plate with a lemon (to symbolize bitterness) and salt (to symbolize the tears of loved ones) was set to recognize those POW/MIA’s.
“The (Korean casualty) numbers are startling, and they must never be forgotten,” Miller said during her remarks. “It was the first step in the fight against Communism.”
In addition to Cawley, Martin and Miller, the ceremony was attended by Pennsylvania Representatives Gene DiGirolamo and Matt Wright.
“ Korea was a war of extreme contrasts,” said keynote speaker Col. Scott McGowan, Commanding Officer of Marine Air Group-49, which is stationed at nearby Willow Grove. “It was a just cause with a noble result.”
And an abiding presence on the Court St. side of the Courthouse lawn where the Korean War Memorials stands in tribute to a war that ended 53 years ago.