AUBURN - History has saddled the Korean War with the unfortunate moniker, “The Forgotten War,” but for those who were there and served and lived through the conflict it is a moment in time that, even more than 50 years later, has not been forgotten.

“It is something I'll never forget,” veteran Jeremiah Burke said. “I don't think any of those who were there ever will or ever could. It is very much a part of who we are and it is something we have all carried with us ever since.”

To pay tribute to those who served and gave their lives the Korean War Veterans' Association of Cayuga County Chapter 296 has been hard at work for the past year to erect a memorial downtown along side those already paying tribute to World War I and II.

“This is for the men who dedicated their lives so many years ago to stop the spread of Communism in the far east,” Jim Ferris of the KWVA said. “It has been too long, but we finally have a monument and we can pay tribute to our fallen comrades.”

Through generous donations from many local organizations as well as individual contributions from the community, the KWVA was able to raise well over $40,000.

“The 296 Cayuga County Chapter raised a significant and generous amount of money for this project,” Commander John Barwinczok said. “It is only through these donations and fundraising that we are able to make this a reality.”

Voltaire once wrote that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. Guest speaker Admiral John F. Paddock Jr. said that this monument stands not only as a tribute to history, but as a constant reminder that history is a living thing. While it is a stone it is more, it is a beacon by which to learn and keep the memory of the past alive and use as a guiding force in the issues America faces today and will face in the future.

“This does commemorate the forgotten war,” Paddock said. “And it keeps the memory alive. There was a disconnection from it even in the '50s and '60s, for the larger part of the public it was very much business as usual. But it was a real world conflict. Today is much the same as our troops fight the war on terrorism, it is a global conflict. This is a reminder to all of us that freedom is not free.”

The dedication ceremony was a chance to pay tribute to those brave soldiers who served, but it was symbolic of something deeper, less tangible. It was a celebration of the ideals and ideology that they fought for and the new found freedom that was born of their sacrifice.

“This memorial serves as a symbol of remembrance,” Deputy Consul General Kie-cheon Lee, Korean Ambassador said. “It serves to remind us never to forget the soldiers of Cayuga County and on behalf of my government I express profound gratitude for helping us become a free nation. I hope that we can continue to expand our friendship as nations and beyond.”

In an emotional unveiling ceremony the unity and mutual appreciation of American and Korean culture was celebrated with performances by the Syracuse University Korean Youth, a musical group performing traditional Korean music.

Many thousands of Americans served in the Korean conflict which lasted from June 25 1950 to July 27th 1953. In those three years nearly 700 of those Americans came from right here in Cayuga County, 25 of whom gave their lives defending the idea that freedom and democracy are for all people.

Veterans and speakers took turns reading off the names of those who could not be present, ringing off on solitary funeral bells after each name was read, names that will now live on, as well as the ideals they stood and fought so bravely for.

“This is a testament to those courageous souls,” Barwinczok said. “There is no more valiant testament to the spirit of our country.”