Please allow me to introduce myself to you. My name is Hiyang and I am from South Korea.
It was April 2009. My son was invited to come to Washington D.C. to receive an award. My husband and I
were so excited and decided to go to D.C. to see our son and to attend the award ceremony. We had been to
D.C. once before. I believe it was about 25 years ago when my son was about five. It was a short visit and
we did not see much of the D.C. area at that time.
The next day after the exciting award ceremony, we decided to go to the Mall with our son before he
left to go back to his home. It was great to be with him again and to spend some time together. The
weather was warm already even though it was spring but it was very nice to see the flowers blooming
everywhere.
The National Mall was so huge. The wind was blowing and the flower smells from the nearby trees were so
refreshing. We went to the Lincoln Memorial first. It was great to see it again. I barely remembered the
statue and the facial expressions of the great former president. There were many people taking pictures
and looking around.
After that, we had a chance to visit the Korean War Memorial at the National Mall. I was looking at the
statue of the soldiers and country names that sent troops to Korea. I was so grateful that all those
countries sent their troops and medical teams to South Korea to fight for our freedom. When I was a
student, I learned about the Korean War and how many countries sent their troops to Korea. But being at
the Korean War Memorial was a great reminder of what they have done for us.
As I walked around the area, I was so overwhelmed by the number of soldiers who lost their lives during
the Korean War! I was deeply moved by their love and by their sacrificial death. Soon, I was sobbing and
tears were streaming down from my eyes immediately. It was so incredible to be reminded of all those who
came to fight and of all those who came to fight and lost their lives.
It was during the Korean War that I was born. I could have been killed right after I was born if the US
and other nations did not send their soldiers! My mom could have been killed even before she gave a birth
of me if there were no helping hands from the US and other nations!
The freedom is not free! Yes, indeed! The freedom that I enjoyed all these years was not free! The
freedom that my family enjoyed all these years was not free! The freedom all of the South Koreans enjoyed
all these years was not free!
Thank God who intervened in that desperate situation of my country and allowed for the leaders of those
nations to make the decision to send out troops to South Korea! Thank God for the leaders of those nations
who made the decisions! Thank God for the individual soldiers who made the decision to come to fight for
us!
She became the nation of South Korea of today because of those who came to fight for us during the
Korean War. South Korea was able to become a nation of independence because of those who came to help.
I owe you so much for all the freedom I enjoyed.
I owe you so much for the freedom of speech that I enjoyed.
I owe you so much for the freedom of writing that I enjoyed.
I owe you so much for the freedom of faith in Christ that I enjoyed.
If there was no freedom, my mom would have not become a Christian. I would not have become a Christian.
My sisters would have not become Christian. My husband would have not become a Christian. All of my family
members and some of my relatives would have not become Christians.
If all of the troops did not come to fight for us and if we lost in that Korean War, South Korea would
have not become a nation of today. We would have been under communism all these years. That would have
been horrible for me and for all of the South Koreans!
Thank you so very much for coming!
Thank you so very much for rescuing our lives!
Thank you so very much for sacrificial love you showed to me and to all of us!
I am so sorry for all the family members, children, and relatives of the Korean War Veterans who lost
their loved ones!
Thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart!!!!!!!
I wish I could shake all of your hands and give thanks in person to all of you who came.
I wish I could shake all of the family members’ hands that lost their loved ones and give thanks in
person.
If I did not have the freedom, I would probably have had no chance to get higher education. My family
would have had no freedom to move to USA. My son would have not had any chance to be educated in USA and
thus would have not received the very special award he got. All the contributions he would make in the
future for the humanity in the field of science would have not been thinkable.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
How can I give thanks to you enough for what you have done!!!!!!!
We are praying for all those who came to fight and for all of the family members who lost their loved
ones during the Korean War. I pray that God will bless every one of you with His special blessings. And He
will give you peace that passes all understanding. And please remember that there are so many of us who
are so grateful to you all even though we do not have chance to tell you how much we do appreciate you
all!!!!!!!
Sincerely yours,
Hiyang
A Korean, American, & Christian
