Korean War Memorial Built on New Bedford Road
In honor of the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, a memorial was build on a stretch of highway that connects Acushnet Avenue, at Exit 6, to Route 140 in New Bedford, Connecticut. Korean War veteran Roland Gendron helped make the memorial roadway possible. Gendron enlisted the assistance of Representative Robert Koczera and Senator Mark Montigny. According to “South Coast Today,” this piece of the road is now called the Korean War Veterans’ Memorial Roadway. The Department of Highways is responsible of the road’s maintenance.
Memories of War
As political and community officials gathered for the dedication of the Korean War Veterans’ Memorial Roadway, Jim Leal, who fought in the Korean War and received a Bronze Star, remembered the North Korean invasion that led to the “Forgotten War.” Leal said, “North Korean tanks and troops swept south on June 25th in 1950, starting a three-year conflict that claimed an estimated 4 million lives…Sometimes it seems like a thousand years ago, and sometimes it seems like yesterday… In Korea, your chance of being killed or wounded was one in nine. … It was wires, mines and body bags.” With the country divided in two, the north wanted to spread its communist ideology to the southern part of the country in order to unify it.
At the roadway’s dedication ceremony, New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang stated, “We need to make sure future generations understand the sacrifices of Korean War veterans and their contributions to freedom.”
A New Way to Remember Those Who Served
While roadways are dedicated and memorial structures built, sometimes a family wants a way to remember a loved one who served their country in a manner that is more personal, will last for years to come and does not cost much money. A solution to consider is creating a free Armed Services memorial page in your loved one’s honor. Individuals can easily set-up an account, start a veteran’s memorial page, add an Armed Services template and include the veteran’s life story, videos and pictures free of charge.
Make a veteran’s memorial page today.
[photo: US Army Korea - IMCOM]
Tags: korean war, korean war memorial, veteran, veteran memorial
