Korea holds memorial for late decorated US veteran of Korean War
A man lays a flower at a memorial for late U.S. Army Col. William E. Weber in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, April 9. Yonhap
Korea held a memorial ceremony on Tuesday for late U.S. Army Col. William E. Weber, a decorated veteran of the 1950-53 Korean War known for his efforts to help the American people remember the conflict.
The ceremony took place at a memorial dedicated to the veteran in the border city of Paju, 39 kilometers north of Seoul, on the second anniversary of his death.
Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho attended the event and described Weber's iconic left-hand salute when he was alive as a symbol of the Korea-U.S. alliance.
Weber lost his right arm and right leg in a battle in Wonju, 132 kilometers east of Seoul, during the three-year war, when he served as a member of the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team.
After retirement, Weber devoted his life to ensuring the Korean War was not forgotten, making efforts to establish memorials on the conflict in the United States. He died at his residence in Maryland in 2022 at the age of 97.
He was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The memorial in Paju was established last year by the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation and the Korea Defense Veterans Association, with support from the National Assembly and SK Group. (Yonhap)