Description
The Korean War Veterans Memorial is located near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It was dedicated on July 27, 1995. The Memorial was designed and financed by private contributions and erected under the auspices of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Advisory Board composed of Korean War veterans appointed by President Reagan. The memorial commemorates the sacrifices of the 5.8 million Americans who served in the U.S. armed services during the three-year period of the Korean War. The War was one of the most hard fought in our history. During its relatively short duration from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, over 36,000 American servicemen and 7,100 Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) died in hostile actions in the Korean War theater. Of these, 8,200 are listed as missing in action or lost or buried at sea. In addition, 103,284 were wounded during the conflict.
The 19 stainless steel statues were sculpted by Frank Gaylord of Barre, VT and cast by Tallix Foundries of Beacon, NY. They are approximately seven feet tall and represent an ethnic cross section of America. The advance party has 14 Army, 3 Marine, 1 Navy and 1 Air Force members. The statues stand in patches of Juniper bushes and are separated by polished granite strips, which give a semblance of order and symbolize the rice paddies of Korea. The troops wear ponchos covering their weapons and equipment. The ponchos seem to blow in the cold winds of Korea.
This coin is dedicated to all Korean War Veterans, whose contribution to freedom more than a half-century ago is still appreciated today. The obverse features a rendering of the national memorials, 19 statues. The reverse depicts the number 38 representing the 38th Parallel line dividing the north and south of Korea that still stands a the boarder for the 2 countries. The text reads, In Memory of all those that served, 1950 1955.
Minted from solid bronze and given antique finish, this coin is accented with richly dark enamels.
Each coin measures 1.75 inches (44mm) in diameter.
