Our Warmest Wishes For The Holidays - Korean War Veterans ...

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a memorial monument a reality. We especially wish to thank the
good people of Sophia, who helped in so many ways. To paraphrase
General James Gavin, “Never have so few owed so much
to so many.”
The bulk of Chapter 156 members are from several counties
in Southern West Virginia, A few members reside in other states.
The Chapter’s headquarters is in Beckley, WV.
This summary and the photos were provided by Gratton
Underwood, a member of KWVA, Chapter 156, Beckley, WV.
CID 265 Memorial Update
Here is an update of our progress in building the North
Carolina Korean War Memorial.
It has been just two years since we launched our drive to
remember the 784 fallen brothers from North Carolina who did
not return from the battlefields, and those who have served since
on Korean soil. Today, I can proudly report that we are in the
final stage of the program, fundraising. We have completed the
design phase, and we have a location donated by the City of Mint
Hill, a bedroom community of Charlotte NC. The site is Fairview
Park, located on NC-218 and I-485.
We have contractors willing to contribute labor and materials,
and an Elberton, GA granite
quarry supplying
pavers, benches and other
granite products at a very
low cost to us. We have a
company in Charlotte, NC
that is engraving pavers
for the walk of remembrance—at
their cost.
The important item is
that the people and business
operators of Mint Hill
NC are very excited about
our project. The City
Commissioners are fully
behind our efforts, and
local newspapers are producing
articles that will
give folks a better idea of
our progress.
Model of the North Carolina Korean War
Memorial
The first paragraph of an article in the September 27, 2007
Mint Hill Times gives a good description of the monument:
The Korean War Veterans Association N.C. 265 (sic) will unveil a
model of its Korean War Veterans Memorial during this year’s Mint
Hill Madness. The memorial is planned for Fairview Park in Mint
Hill. Designed to resemble the South Korean flag, it will be a circle
60 feet in diameter with four inner columns 10 feet tall listing all
784 North Carolinian’s (sic) who were either killed or missing in
action during the three-year war. At each end of the memorial will
be two statutes of American soldiers wearing ponchos.
We have received more than $29,000 from members and their
friends; we are just beginning to ask for public support.
Don Putnam, 7036 Thorncliff Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210-
6509, (704) 496-4709, donpat@juno.com
CID 265 members (L-R) James Humphries, Don Putnam, and Roland
Bellette “provide security” for Miss North Carolina 2007 Jessica Jacobs
CID 265 Honor Guard (L-R) James Humphries, Don Putnam, and Roland
Bellette on parade
CID 293 Members Attend Dedication
Members attended the dedication of a Korean War Monument
in Pensacola, Florida on June 25, 2007. The groundbreaking ceremony
took place on November 11, 2003.
People from the local Korean community provided the food
for the Korean veterans who attended the ceremony. Sukie
Lambert sang the Korean National Anthem, and Korean
Consulate General Kuang-Jae Lee offered comments about a
“grateful nation.”
Groundbreaking for the Pensacola monument—in 2003
November-December 2007
The Graybeards