 To some
it seems like only yesterday—to others it seems to have been forever. On this seventh anniversary of the
treacherous attack by terrorists in the United States, the Combined Korean and US Veterans reaffirm that
we will not forget and we will not be defeated.Our Nations, IN ALLIANCE, have served in bringing
relief, in defending freedom, in combating aggression, and in peacekeeping and in nation building round the
world since 1950. We serve together today in the Global War on Terrorism in IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN and elsewhere.
It seems worthwhile reminding the US members of our ALLIANCE that the citizens of the REPUBLIC KOREA live
each day of their lives in peril of a 9-11 event in their Nation, on their homes and families. In the
freezing cold and blazing heat, in battle 1950-1953, and in the continuing ambiguous ceasefire of fifty-five
years, our troops, IN ALLIANCE, coined—and then followed—the phrase now known wherever free men live:
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE! Our combined ALLIANCE has never forgotten
that truth. And one of our purposes is to see that no one else forgets it either. We will push ahead telling
youth of the lessons we learned and the history (to them) that we lived. We will continue indorsing and
working for every initiative which we believe will strengthen the US-KOREA ALLIANCE. We continue the strong
support of our Association for H.R. 5443 and the Senate companion, S. 1846, The United States-Republic of
Korea Defense Cooperation Improvement Act of 2008. We also strongly support H. RES. 111, and to the
KOREA-US FTA (Free Trade Agreement) legislation.
The ALLIANCE will continue to champion worldwide condemnation of human rights violations and enslavement
in North Korea, as well as demanding the exact accounting for US and KOREAN missing, kidnapped, and
unaccounted for citizens from 1950 until this day. We will not forget!
Louis T Dechert
|
