The Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery hosted a monument dedication in honor of the Chosin Few Saturday, July 9th.
The monument, created and organized by Metroplex Military Charitable Trust, honors those who fought and died during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir(Jangjin) in 1950 during the Korean War.
Myung Joon Kim, head of mission at the Consular Office of the Republic of Korea in Dallas, and Jay Ryu, president of Korean Society of Dallas, among other Korean-Americans, were in attendance to celebrate the occasion.
Following are some of the facts about the memorial and the Battle of Chosin Reservoir
▶ The memorial is a 12-foot-tall, polished black granite structure.
▶ The memorial includes about 40 bronze sculptures in recognition of soldiers who distinguished themselves during battle, including 17 Medal of Honor recipients.
▶ The memorial features a “Star of Koto-Ri,” in recollection of a star that U.S. Marines saw through the blizzard sky and took as a sign that they would get the air support needed to evacuate about 100,000 refugees during the conflict.
▶ The memorial recognizes the group of about 18,000 United Nations security forces who fought in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, a 17-day engagement that is widely considered one of the most brutal battles in modern history and is regarded by many historians as a pivotal moment in the Korean War.
▶ In South Korea, the battle is referred to as the Battle of Jangjin Reservoir. The term “Chosin” is derived from Japanese maps of the Korean peninsula during Japan’s occupation of the East Asian country.
▶ The battle took place Nov. 27 through Dec. 13, 1950
▶ The battle is remembered for how heavily outnumbered the U.N. forces were by an army of about 100,000 Chinese and North Korean soldiers, and for the brutal conditions brought on by a blizzard that pushed temperatures to minus 36 degrees.
▶ The memorial project was led by Dallas-based Metroplex Marines. Retired Lt. Gen. Richard Carey played an important role in the project.
▶ Carey was a 22-year-old rifle platoon commander from Ohio, who earned Silver Star and Purple Heart medals for his actions in the conflict at the reservoir. He also served in the Vietnam War and was the commanding officer in charge of the evacuation of Saigon in 1975. He retired in 1983 after 38 years of military service.
▶ Carey not only played a leading role in the Dallas memorial but also in the creation of the nation’s first Chosin Few monument in Virginia.
▶ Carey celebrated his 94th birthday on Monday, January 10, 2022 during the ground breaking ceremony at the DFW National Cemetery.
