[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 9] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 12522] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]THE FORGOTTEN WAR ______ HON. TED POE of texas in the house of representatives Wednesday, June 30, 2010 Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, half way across the world, nearly 37,000 Americans gave their lives in a struggle against communism from the summer of 1950 to the summer of 1953. How does one forget? Overshadowed by World War II and Vietnam, the Korean War has commonly been referred to as ``The Forgotten War'', although it figures prominently in the development of historical events. Friday, June 25, marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. In the early hours of June 25 1950, communist forces from the north crossed the 38th parallel and invaded the Republic of South Korea. Two days after the North Korean invasion, President Harry S. Truman authorized the use of American military forces in Korea. Nearly two million Americans stepped up in attempt to triumph evil in the Korean theatre. The Korean War was a civil war; Koreans fought and killed each other on their own soil. The economic and social danger to the Korean nation was incalculable. It was also one of the first episodes of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Others, including a communist China, joined in based on their ideologies. Remembering the Korean War is painful for many veterans who fought in it. Those who were there remember the violent hand to hand combat and the extreme conditions they faced. Maybe that's why it's forgotten. Or maybe it's due to the fact that history frowns upon conflicts in which there is no clear winner. But for whatever reasons there are, the Americans who served, the lives that were lost, and the cause that was fought for should never be forgotten. It might not have been the most glorious war in our history, but nearly two million Americans rose up to triumph evil on the Korean Peninsula during those violent years. That's pretty unforgettable. ____________________