As rain streamed down on the families, officials and veterans gathered for Des Plaines’ Memorial Day ceremony at the Lake Park Memorial Pavilion late Monday morning, few left, deciding instead to huddle under umbrellas to hear thoughts and memories of the Korean War.
“This has got to be one Memorial Day we’ll all remember,” said Mike Lake, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2992.
Remembering was the theme of the ceremony, which focused on the five residents who lost their lives in the Korean War.
South Korean Deputy Consulate General, Hon. Jae Woong Lee, read aloud the five names — Richard Rudolph Becker, William Martin Zoellick, Sam H. Wakefield, Robert Charles Beth and Donald Ernest Engh.
“The Korean people will always remember your brave souls and be thankful for your sacrifice,” Lee said.
He said the support of the United States and other members of the international community have helped transform South Korea from a nation in need of aid to one that is able to offer assistance to other countries.
Pastor Steve Kang of Des Plaines’ Evergreen Community Korean Church offered a prayer dedicated to those who lost their lives defending South Korea during the conflict that began in 1950 and ended three years later.
“May (their families) be comforted in their sadness, may they be assured their sacrifice of a loved one contributes to a worthy cause,” Kang said.
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Fifth Ward Alderman James Brookman offered a brief history of Memorial Day and the importance of honoring those who paid the ultimate price for the rights and liberties Americans currently enjoy.
The Korean War, he said, “is commonly known as the forgotten war” and does not often receive the recognition it deserves.
Brookman spoke of a recently-discovered sixth Des Plaines resident who was killed during the conflict that pitted U.S., South Korean and United Nations forces against North Korean troops who were backed by China and the Soviet Union.
James Anthony Hofius, 21, who had recently moved to Des Plaines before joining the war effort, was killed during the Battle of Bloody Ridge in 1951 and “he deserves our thanks, our respect and remembrance for his service,” Brookman said.
As the ceremony ended, the sun came out and Joseph Yi, 85, a Korean-American who served during the war as an interpreter, was awarded the South Korean Ambassador for Peace medal by Lee. Yi, a member of VFW Post 2992, played a pivotal role organizing the event.
Before a final prayer was offered, Lake, who served in Korea, reminded those present that Memorial Day is much more than the start of summer, barbeques and big retail sales. Those who served were in their late teens and early 20s, just like the three men dressed partially in military uniform standing behind him, he said.
“The price for your barbeques and store sales is steep,” Lake said. “Remember who paid it.”
Gaines is a freelance reporter.