Congressman Honda and Ambassador Ahn with some of the honored Korean War veterans
Tuesday, March 18, 2014, Santa Clara, CA: A ceremony in honor of American veterans of the Korean War was held in the beautiful Santa Clara Central Park Veterans Memorial. The event was hosted by U.S. Congressman Mike Honda of California’s 17th District, with special guest Ambassador Ahn Ho-young of the Republic of Korea, who flew out of a Washington, DC blizzard to participate in the ceremony.
The event began with welcoming remarks by the Congressman and the Ambassador to the audience of Korean War veterans, their families and supporters. Then each veteran was called forward by name to greet the Congressman and the Ambassador, and to have a special commemorative medal hung around his or her neck by the Ambassador.
From left to right: Consul General Han, Congressman McCloskey, LtCol Stevens, and Ambassador Stephens
The impressive medals had been forged from metal reclaimed from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea. More than three dozen veterans stepped forward to receive the honor. They all then posed for group photos. The ceremony came to a close after the Congressman and the Ambassador placed a wreath on the memorial in honor of those who served.
The Medal
The Korean War veterans in attendance included former Congressman Pete McCloskey, President of KWMF and John Stevens, Secretary of KWMF, both Marine combat veterans of that long-ago war. Distinguished guests included former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Kathleen Stephens, now Koret Fellow at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University, and Consul General Han Dong-man, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco.
Consul General Han, LtCol Stevens, and Congressman McCloskey share a private moment