Young Oak Kim: “``Our Nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they…”

“``Our Nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.'' This is the quote you will find at our Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Madam Speaker, I rise today, on the 71st anniversary of the Korean war, to honor the more than 5.7 million Americans who served, including the 2.25 million Korean war veterans alive today, and to remember the more than 36,000 Americans and 1 million South Korean civilians and soldiers who gave their lives to protect freedom. As an immigrant from South Korea whose family lived through the Korean war, and as a wife and sister of veterans, I know that I am here because of the sacrifices of our brave Korean war veterans. This is personal to me. Words alone cannot express how grateful I am. Freedom is not free, and each of you stands as a reminder of our Nation's commitment to freedom and to the safety and security of our allies in South Korea. ____________________”