San Francisco War Memorial Veteran's Commission celebrates annual POW Commemoration Day, 2004

The Department of Defense has a new Internet web site to recall the lessons and legacies of the Korean War and honor the military veterans who served there. The Department¹s Korean War 50th Anniversary Commemoration Web site, at http://korea50.army.mil, contains a wealth of information including a calendar of upcoming commemorative events, a chronology of the war, fact sheets, educational materials, photographs, maps and biographies.

Congress authorized the Department of Defense to organize the national 50th anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration of the service and sacrifices of Korean War veterans and their families, Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen designated the Army as executive agent for the commemoration - Deputy Under Secretary of the Army for International Affairs retired Lt. Gen. Claude M. Kicklighter has organized a committee to carry out the task.

The committee - made up of representatives from every branch of the Armed Forces along with the Coast Guard and Merchant Marines-is planning commemorative events, developing educational materials and soliciting grassroots support for a three-year, commemorative program of events. The national observance officially begins with a ceremony in Washington June 25, 2000, although many communities have already begun planning and conducting their own commemorative events.