By Kang Seung-woo
The Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation (KWVMF) will conduct the KATUSA Verbal Wall of Remembrance Ceremony on June 25 at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., to honor those who fought and bled alongside U.S. soldiers during the Korean War.
The KWVMF, chaired by Korean War veteran William Weber, is currently working with the KATUSA Veterans Association and other relevant organizations to acquire the names of KATUSA soldiers killed in action.
During the event, the KWVMF plans to read approximately 150 names every three minutes.
KATUSA represents the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army, a program under which Korean Army soldiers are assigned to work with their American counterparts. It originates from the 1950-53 Korean War.
According to the data, 43,660 KATUSAs participated in the conflict, with 6,415 killed in action, 3,823 wounded and 1,667 missing in action.
“It is apparent that all of the approximately 8,000 KATUSAs killed in action cannot be identified by name,” the KWVMF said in its statement. “Many do not realize the U.S. chose to maintain our frontline strength by using KATUSAs instead of U.S. replacements.”
Chairman Weber said that the intent of this ceremony is to call attention to the fact that every KATUSA casualty would otherwise have been an American service member, stressing that this would have amounted to an almost 30 percent increase in American causalities.
“In simple truth, every KATUSA killed, wounded, captured or missing would have meant that a U.S. soldier could have been killed, wounded, captured or missing if we had kept our units at the table of organization and equipment strength with U.S. replacements,” he said.
“Thus, when considering our Korean War casualties, this nation ought to add the KATUSAs to the total ― for in their place could have been an American.”
He added: “KATUSAs saved American lives and blood. It is time their service to America be acknowledged.”
Currently, some 3,600 KATUSA soldiers work alongside more than 28,000 U.S. service members in Korea.