Honor Flight 2024: West Virginia Korean War vets visit ‘The Forgotten War’ memorial
By Barbara Ron,
2024-09-18
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WBOY) — Over the weekend, nearly 100 veterans from across north central West Virginia visited numerous monuments at the nation’s capital that were created to honor their service. Among those veterans were four from the Korean War who got to take in the wall of remembrance as well as a mural depicting images of Korean War service members.
“After we got over there, we got those Mickey Mouse boots, and it looks like what they got on, you know, to keep your feet from freezing, it was cold over there,” said Huelin Linger, a Korean War veteran who served from 1952-1954 and still has vivid memories of his service despite being 93 years old.
Linger said that visiting the Korean War Memorial was a must for him, in order to pay his respects to those he served alongside and whose names are engraved on the walls, recognizing their ultimate sacrifice, even if some memories have started to fade for him.
(WBOY image)
“I know there’s a lot of names in there that I probably fought with, but I couldn’t tell you a name today,” said Linger.
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, after the Northern Korean People’s Army invaded South Korea with the goal of unifying under the communist North Korean regime. President Harry S. Truman committed U.S. troops to the combined United Nations forces to assist South Korea in its defense. This commitment called 6.8 million American men and women to serve during the three-year war and led to more than 54,000 American deaths .
“I wish there were more people could see this. I mean, so they could see what goes on in the world, if they see all those names on that wall down there, they would have second thoughts,” said John Morrison, U.S. Army Veteran, Korean War.
The Korean War was dubbed “The Forgotten War” because it took place between World War II and the Vietnam War, and memorial visitors made sure to pay their respects to living history.
The Honor Flight not only brings veterans to Washington D.C., but it also provides a platform for bonding for many of them, including Liner and Morrison. These two met for the first time right at the memorial, in front of the wall of remembrance, and held on to each other knowing they were not alone.
Korean War veterans Huelin Linger (left) and John Morrison (right) hold hands first time they meet while visiting the Korean War Memorial in Washington D.C. (WBOY image)
Honor Flight officials are already fundraising for next year’s flight, so if you are interested in donating, you can send donations here:
Honor Flight 430 West Pike St. Clarksburg, WV 26301
12 News will continue to bring you stories from the Honor Flight throughout the week.
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