SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL ADDRESSES VFW NATIONAL CONVENTION

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Hagel Calls on Vets to Partner in Reshaping Military
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2013 - Opening his address today to the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention with a tribute to Korean War veterans, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called on the nation's 22 million veterans to become partners in helping the Defense Department work through "historic transition and change."

Every major conflict in U.S. history has been followed by a period of "realignment and redefinition," with "enormous ramifications and consequences for our entire defense enterprise," the secretary noted.

As the Defense Department undergoes the latest realignments and reshapes the military for the future, Hagel called on veterans "who helped build our military into the strongest, most capable and most respected on Earth" to help ensure it remains that way.

"All of us at the Pentagon, and across this administration, value your perspective and devotion to our military men and women," he told the group. "We will need your help and partnership as we manage through a period of historic transition and change.

"As I look out across this audience, I see thousands of veterans whose lives have been committed to helping our service members, their families and our veterans succeed, and to ensuring this country honors their legacy with policies that are worthy of their sacrifices," Hagel continued. "All of you, and the roughly 22 million veterans across this nation, have an important role to play in the debate over our country's future national security priorities."

Hagel pointed out that veterans of past wars depended on their elected representatives to ask the right questions and establish the proper policies before sending them into conflict. "You all have fought and put your lives on the line for this country," he said. "You did so with the expectation that you would be given the equipment, training and support you needed to succeed."

The secretary noted that many of the veterans, particularly those of the Korean War, have seen firsthand the human toll of sending a hollow force to war.

"Not one American should ever be ordered into battle without our leaders being as sure as they can be that their decision is worthy of the sacrifices that will be made by our sons and our daughters," he said.

The secretary began his address leading a thunderous applause for veterans of the Korean War whose service led to the armistice agreement signed 60 years ago this week. Hagel noted that he will join President Barack Obama and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki for a July 27 ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial here to commemorate the formal signing of the armistice on July 27, 1953.

The armistice agreement ended the fighting in a three-year conflict between North Korea and China and South Korea and United Nations forces led by the United States.

"The upcoming observance is a chance for the country to fully express its profound gratitude for your service and sacrifice," Hagel told the veterans. "The Korean War veterans here today, and all across the country, should know that your fellow citizens are proud of what you accomplished, and what your generation has contributed to our security and prosperity."

GENERAL DEMPSEY HONORS U.S. VETERANS IN SOUTH KOREA

The "Bridge of No Return" in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea was used for prisoner exchanges at the close of the Korean War. Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Dempsey Honors U.S. Veterans at Seoul Memorial

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

YONGSAN GARRISION, South Korea, Nov. 10, 2012 - Veterans of the Korean War would have recognized the weather if nothing else about the South Korean capital of Seoul today, as Pouring rain obscured the skyscrapers that are now a symbol of Seoul on Nov. 11 here, but the Veterans of Foreign War carried through with a ceremony to remember their comrades -- especially the more than 38,000 Americans killed in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey joined Army Gen. James D. Thurman -- commander of Combined Forces Korea and U.S. Forces Korea -- and U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Sung Y. Kim for the ceremony at the 8th Army Memorial here. The ceremony also honored some American and Korean veterans of the war who attended.

Dempsey said it is right and fitting to honor veterans, because while he represents the men and women who make up the finest military the world has ever seen, "we know we stand on very broad shoulders."

"On Veterans Day we honor every man or woman who has worn the uniform of our nation, who have selflessly secured America's promise throughout our history," the general said. "That history teaches us that security doesn't just happen. It demands effort, sacrifice, courage and commitment. It requires generations of men and women willing to go to distant lands and, as the Korean War Memorial in Washington says, 'to defend a country that they never knew and a people that they never met.'"

Dempsey asked the audience to remember not only the veterans of previous wars, but those thousands of service members in harm's way today.

"This isn't just about what we say here today; this is about how we honor our veterans every day of the year," the chairman said. "It's remaining committed to supporting them and their families in every way that we possibly can. It's about serving them as well as they serve and continue to serve our nation."

That, the chairman added, is the sacred trust between America and those who defend it. "It's a trust extolled by the 8th Army – honored by this memorial – that drove the enemy north of the 38th parallel," he said.

Kim thanked the Korean War veterans for giving Americans and Koreans "the freedom to chose their own paths."

The ambassador noted that what began as a purely military alliance in 1950 has morphed to a full and close alliance on every level. Behind the bulwark of U.S. military, the South Korean military has grown to a world-class organization. South Korea has grown from a destitute land destroyed by war in 1953 to the 12th-largest economy in the world. Thanks to the security provided by the U.S.-South Korean alliance, he added, this country has risen from a Third World nation to the First World in a generation.

Kim said the South Korean military has stood with its American allies in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, and he thanked them for the Korean people for their sacrifices.

Thurman said the ceremony was a chance for both Americans and Koreans to reflect on "our values and our freedoms that we share."

He noted that many U.S. veterans live in South Korea, and said it is fitting to recognize them.

"Today we honor the young men and women who throughout the history of our nation answered the call in times of need," Thurman said. "Our veterans served both at home and overseas to defend our country and its values."