WHEREAS, The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel and invaded the Republic of Korea, marking the start of a three-year conflict; and

WHEREAS, On June 27, 1950, President Harry S. Truman ordered the Armed Forces of the United States to help the Republic of Korea defend itself against the North Korean invasion; and

WHEREAS, The Korean War ended with the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953, which halted hostilities without a formal peace treaty and left the Korean Peninsula divided to this day; and

WHEREAS, More than 1,800,000 American men and women served in the Korean War, with over 36,000 losing their lives and more than 100,000 wounded in the defense of freedom and democracy; and

WHEREAS, The bravery, sacrifice, and commitment of Korean War veterans have too often been overlooked, and they should be rightfully remembered as part of the “Forgotten War”; and

WHEREAS, In the 75 years since the outbreak of the Korean War, the Republic of Korea has emerged from a war-torn economy into one of the major economies in the world and one of the United States’ largest trading partners; and

WHEREAS, The Republic of Korea is among the closest allies of the United States, having contributed troops in support of United States during the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and its operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, while also supporting numerous United Nations peacekeeping missions throughout the world; and

WHEREAS, The strong alliance between the Republic of Korea and the United States remains a lasting legacy of the sacrifices made during the Korean War; now, therefore, be it