about the Korean War Veterans Digital Memorial and Korean War
Korean War Veterans Digital Memorial
- What is a digital memorial? Why build a digital memorial?
A digital memorial means that we can remember and honor the veterans of the Korean War through an online medium. Unlike a physical museum, a digital memorial never runs out of space and does not force visitors to travel anywhere. Here, we can upload interviews, photos, and other artifacts without having to worry about running out of space and people from all over the world are able to visit.
- Why build the KWVDM now?
For many years, Korean War Veterans' sacrifices and experiences on the Korean Peninsula have been ignored or highly politicized. Coupled with the fact that the average age of KWVs is 80 years-old, we realize that the easiest, most cost-efficient way to honor our veterans before it is too late is to build an online memorial telling the Korean War from their unedited, first-hand experiences.
- How many veterans have participated in the KWVDM project so far?
There are 32 Korean War Veterans that have given interviews that have been published to the website. These veterans are all from the Korean War Veterans Association Central New York Chapter #105, Inc.
- I am a veteran, how can I contribute my photos or artifacts to the KWVDM?
Thank you so much for your willingness to contribute! Please see our online submission page for instructions on submitting your artifacts to our staff online to be published on the website.
- I am a veteran, who do I contact if I would like to do an interview for the KWVDM?
Please contact either Dr. Jongwoo Han (KWV DM Director) or Mr. Youngseek Kim (Program Coordinator), for information on scheduling an interview for the KWVDM. We would love to have you share your experiences on KWVDM.
- How can high school students participate?
The KWVDM has a Youth Program that allows high school students to work with veterans in their community as well as contribute to our database.
- Does the KWVDM provide internship opportunities?
If you��re a college student over 18, please see our Internship page for information on how to apply for internships.
- What are the KWVDM's plans for the future?
We hope to reach out to veterans all over the country and preserve their experiences on this database. If possible, we would also like to reach out to veterans of the Korean War who were from the 15 other countries that participated in the war.
- Who is funding the KWVDM now?
Our chief benefactors are the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Pantech Co. Ltd., and Sookmyung Women's University Professor Hyungnam Moon.
- Does the KWVDM accept donations?
We are working on a donation page, but we would greatly appreciate any support you can provide for us to continue honoring our veterans.
Korean War and Korean War Veterans
16 Participating Countries and Their National Flowers
- How many Korean War Veterans are living in the U.S. today?
As of 2000, the U.S. had 2.5 million Korean War Veterans living in the U.S. Estimates place the number at around 2.2 million in 2011. In five years, this number is expected to drop by half.
- How many soldiers fought in the Korean War?
Approximately 5.72 million soldiers fought in the Korean War.
- Where do most Korean War Veterans live today?
Most Korean War Veterans live in California, Florida, Texas, New York, and Pennsylvannia.
- How long was the Korean War?
The Korean War was from June 1950 to July 1953.
- Has the Korean Peninsula been reunited?
No. Since 1953, the Korean Peninsula has halted hostilities with a ceasefire maintaining the original 38th parallel border from the start of the Korean War in 1950.
- Why do people call the Korean War a "forgotten war?"
There are many answers to this question and it is hard to clarify in a simple answer. First, the Korean War was never an officially recognized war by the United States government. It has been called the "Korean Conflict" or a "police action." The Korean War followed only five years after the end of WWII and many people, tired of fighting in WWII, did not want to fight in a new war. As a result, the Korean War was not highly publicized. Second, the Vietnam War followed the Korean War and the scope and scale was much greater, involved more troops, and led to a high death toll as well as vast humanitarian devastation, but most importantly, the Vietnam War was highly publicized by the Western media. Finally, the Korean War merely maintained the existing 38th parallel. At the time when America had defeated Germany and Japan in WWII, the failure to push communist forces out of North Korea and establishing a ceasefire treaty signaled no clear "end" to the war, but simply a pause. Both sides assumed the war was not over yet.