Remembering 'The Forgotten War'

Historians often call the Korean War “The Forgotten War.” But to the more than 1.7 million Americans who served in theater, it was the defining experience of their lives.

And to the nearly 140,000 who were either killed or wounded there, it was a real war, one of the most deadly in American history.

But those the war did not take, time has. Of the Korean veterans alive today, many of them are in their 80s.

This summer, 60 years since a July 27, 1953, peace treaty created a cease fire but never officially ended the war, some of them are telling the stories they’ve been carrying around—or sharing only with a very few others—for more than a half century.

I'm preparing an article to tell some of these stories on the war’s 60th anniversary.

I would like to track down some Korean War vets who I can either interview over the phone or in person, if they live somewhere near Washington, D.C. I am specially looking for veterans who have interesting stories to share, can tell them in descriptive ways, and are willing to have those memories published.

Please feel free to send names and contact information to me at lpitts@worldmag.com.