The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking Korean War veterans for the Korean Ambassador of Peace Medal. The Korean government would like to show their respect and gratitude for the devotion and sacrifice of the U.S. troops during the Korean War by presenting the medals to veterans.

The Ambassador Peace Medal is for Korean War veterans who sacrificed for Korea’s democracy and freedom. The eligibility is for those who served in Korea’s land, air and sea from June 25, 1950, through October 25, 1954.

Sometimes called “The Forgotten War,” in part because its memory is often overshadowed by World War II and the Vietnam War, it began after some 75,000 North Korean soldiers poured into South Korea on June 25, 1950. By the time the war ended in July 1953, an estimated 5 million soldiers and civilians died, including more than 700 from Alabama.

South Korea’s government began offering the medals in 1975 to veterans who visited the country through its “Revisit Program,” which was meant to show gratitude for the veterans service, as well as see how the country has prospered since the armistice was signed.

In Alabama, there are 21,991 Korean War Veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but the state does not have a list of their names and addresses.

To obtain an application, please contact Covington County Veterans Service Officer Brian Foshee at 334-428-2687 or visit him at the County Administration Building located at 250 Hillcrest Drive in Andalusia, Alabama. If you have a copy of your DD-214 please bring it with you, if not, bring a valid form of identification and he can process a request for your DD-214.