Newton Honors Korean War Vets on 60th Anniversary of Armistice

The crowd was standing room only Monday as Newton officials and Korean Consul General Kang-ho Park came together to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice.

John MacGillivray, Newton's veterans services officer, served as mast of ceremonies for the event during which more than 60 Korean War veterans received certificates of recognition for their service. MacGillivray also thanked Mayor Setti Warren for taking an interest in the "forgotten war."

"Mayor Setti Warren wants to make sure that the forgotten war is never forgotten in Newton," MacGillivray said.

During his comments, Warren, a veteran of the Iraq War, reminded guests that they have members of the military to thank for the many comforts they take for granted.

"We sit here in this beautiful city hall... we enjoy freedoms every single day without fear of being attacked... and the reason why we're able to do all these things is because of you," Warren told the veterans and the veterans' families gathered at the event. "It's because you and the members of your family decided to put on the military uniform and protect us."

The ceremony also included comments from Stephan Ross, a Newton resident and Korean War vet who was rescued from a Nazi concentration camp by American soldiers. In a speech partly read by his daughter, Ross relayed that it was efforts of those American soldiers in World War II that led him to want to enlist when he made it to America.

"The soldiers spoke the first kind words to us in years," Ross' speech read. "Our gratitude and recognition is beyond words and monuments. I wanted to be like you."

Park thanked veterans for their efforts to preserve his country's freedom 60-plus years ago, letting them know that their efforts were certainly not for a "forgotten war" on the Korean peninsula.

To hear more of Park's comments, watch the attached 30-second video.