Chapter 48 Part 5 My Faith Will Continue on the World Stage

I once read in a book that on the wall of the Harvard University Chapel, there was a commemorative bronze plaque engraved with the names of Harvard graduates who died in the war. In February 2007, I traveled to the United States to give a speech at the Harvard Kennedy School.I told the secretarial office that when I arrive at Harvard University, I hope that I can go directly to the church in the school to pay tribute to those Harvard students who died in the Korean War. Harvard University is located in Cambridge, a quiet and beautiful city.Even in the cold and windy weather, the students of Harvard University are still full of vigor and vitality.After arriving at the school, our group walked through the campus full of ancient buildings and headed towards the church.Inside the church, the atmosphere was very quiet.Sunlight shines through the windows, illuminating the entire originally dark church, and the interior is filled with a solemn and pious atmosphere.

On the walls on the left and right sides of the church, there are commemorative bronze plaques engraved with the names of graduates who died in battle.On the left are the names and graduation years of the victims of World War I and World War II; on the right are the names and graduation years of the victims of the Korean War, which are densely and clearly engraved on the bronze medals. Such a scene, Made me feel hot inside. Harvard University is very honored for these warriors who sacrificed for their country.We stood in silence in front of the names of the victims, and the school officials and school police who provided us with explanations also took off their hats to pay tribute to the victims.

After walking out of the church, the person from Harvard University who served as the commentator said: "When I received the notice that I needed to arrange a trip to the church, I didn't quite understand your intention. In fact, I only found out today that there is a commemorative bronze medal in the church. After reading it , I was also quite touched in my heart.” When I go abroad for visits, there is a principle that I must abide by, which is to express my gratitude to those who have helped South Korea for many years.We have experienced unfortunate modern history, but we have received help and support from many countries, especially at the time of the Korean War, soldiers from 21 countries (combat forces supported 16 countries, and medical support supported 5 countries) provided assistance. At that time, it may not even be clear which country South Korea is on the map, but it sacrificed for the maintenance of liberal democracy.Nowadays, no matter where the surviving soldiers meet again, as long as they talk about Korea, they will return to the time when they were in their twenties, chatting about the memories of Korea, and even talking about the amazing development of Korea, and they will be like their own things So happy and excited.

In March 2005, after I served as the representative of the Grand National Party, I embarked on a diplomatic visit for the first time. It was to the United States, and my first stop was to lay flowers at the Memorial of Korean War Soldiers. The Washington Memorial to Korean War Soldiers was set up in a corner of the square in front of the Lincoln Memorial. When we arrived at the monument, an unexpected and mysterious guest was waiting for us.They are American soldiers who lived in the suburbs near Washington DC and participated in the Korean War. Although the visit time is only 10 minutes, they are willing to drive here from the suburbs that take an hour.I looked at them with red eyes.They wore the military uniforms of the Korean War and pinned the badges that were not used at that time. Although they are old and their hair is white, they are still majestic.

There is a small park near the monument. In the middle of the park, there is a bronze statue of 19 American soldiers wearing raincoats and marching with guns.Going forward, the faces of 2,500 soldiers who participated in the war are engraved on the 49-meter-long black granite.The monument reads, "At the command of the country, I will dedicate my life to a country I don't know and people I have never seen and defend them. The United States pays the highest respect to these American people" and "Freedom is not It's all right." These two sentences.The country does not forget the warriors who sacrificed for the country. This is the strength of the United States.In contrast, the soldiers who died during the battle in the West Sea of ​​our country have not yet received the praise they deserve; the prisoners who disappeared in the "6.25" battlefield have not yet been confirmed alive or dead.Compared with the victims of the Korean War in the United States, it looks much more bleak.

At dinner that day, I hosted six American couples who fought in the Korean War.They chatted about their memories of being in Korea and the stories of being on the battlefield when they were young. A group of people chatted non-stop, even forgetting the passage of time.The soldiers who participated in the war still have vivid memories of the war situation, injuries, and movement paths at that time.They did not forget to praise that South Korea, which was in ruins in the past, can achieve such achievements today, which makes them feel very honored. They treat me like an older sister or younger sister from Korea, although we have a different skin color, but we have a brotherhood because of Korea.

---

Notes: