Monument erected to honor West Point graduates killed in Korean War

U.S. 2nd Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Steve Gilland, fifth from right, Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA) Korea Chapter President Lee Seo-young, third from left, KDVA Korea Chapter Honorary President Kwon Oh-sung, fourth from left, and Korea Military Academy (KMA) Superintendent Lt. Gen. Chung Jin-kyung, sixth from left, pose with other guests during an unveiling ceremony of a monument at the KMA, Friday, to honor West Point graduates killed in the Korean War. Courtesy of Army

By Yi Whan-woo

The Army unveiled a monument Friday, commemorating U.S. Military Academy graduates who were killed in the 1950-53 Korean War.

The monument, set up at the Korea Military Academy (KMA) in Seoul, is inscribed with the names of the 17 officers from the West Point Class of 1948 and the ode of remembrance.

This is the third monument to honor U.S. service members from West Point. The other two, also on the KMA campus, honor the classes of 1949 and 1950, the Army said.

It said the latest one was erected under an agreement signed between the Korea Chapter of the Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA) and the Army as part of a project to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War.

The KDVA, tasked with enhancing the Korea-U.S. alliance, consists of former and active members of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), the Combined Forces Command (CFC) and the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA).

Participants of Friday's commemoration ceremony included U.S. 2nd Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Steve Gilland, KDVA Korea Chapter President Lee Seo-young, KDVA Korea Chapter Honorary President Kwon Oh-sung, KMA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Chung Jin-kyung and Army cadets.

“The freedom and peace defended by the young heroes 70 years ago have become the foundation of the Republic of Korea's economic prosperity and vibrant democracy,” Chung said in his opening address.

“I will do my best to nurture cadets as core members of the ROK Army's future, by making sure they keep in mind the meaning and significance of the alliance at all times.”

Former USFK and CFC commander Walter Sharp sent a video message.

He said the 17 fallen officers were committed to the values of duty, honor and country ― the motto of West Point ― and that their sacrifice helped lay the groundwork for the alliance.

The 17 includes James Alward Van Fleet Jr., the only son of James Alward Van Fleet, who commanded the U.S. Eighth Army during the war.

He was a B-26 bomber pilot captain when his aircraft crashed in Haju, North Korea, while on a night mission in April 1952. He was declared missing in action and later presumed dead.

The father is known for his passion toward the KMA, such as helping the school adopt West Point's four-year curriculum and training courses, and leading a fundraising campaign to build a library.

Meanwhile, the Army plans to erect four more monuments for the West Point classes of 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1951 by 2023.