North Carolina Korean War Veterans Sought

The North Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs (NCDVA) is leading a statewide effort to recognize North Carolina service members and their families on the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. The project is part of the U.S. Department of Defense 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee, which in June will launch “The Year of the Korean War Veteran.”

There is a link on the Web site to provide a Certificate of Appreciation signed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to all Korean War veterans and the family members who supported them.  No documentation is necessary and the form can be filled out and submitted online by the veteran, a family member, or a friend. Requests for certificates may also be downloaded and mailed to Korean War Veterans Certificate, N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs, 1315 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1315. More information is available on the North Carolina Department of Administration site.

In addition to the certificate of appreciation, the U.S. Department of Defense encourages any Korean War veteran who would like to share his story with the Korean War Commemoration Committee’s oral history project to visit http://koreanwar.defense.gov/ or call (703) 545-0522.  This site is not specific to North Carolina but is the Department of Defense site for the war's commemoration.

Since the North Carolina project is part of a larger Department of Defense initiative, perhaps other states will create similar projects to recognize their veterans.