Korean Service Campaign Marker Information

Why does the Korean Service marker end with the date 1954?
The Korean Conflict started on 25 June 1950 when forces of the Peoples Democratic Republic
of Korea (communist North Korea) invaded the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The Korean
peninsula had been split after World War II in order for American forces to accept the surrender
of occupying Japanese forces in the south, while Soviet forces accepted their surrender in the
north. These administrative areas formed into separate hostile countries by 1950 as the Cold
War hardened. US forces on duty in neighboring Japan were the first to come to South Koreas
aid, but over the course of the next three years the souths defense would become the first
United Nations combat action with many other countries joining. The first year of combat was
distinguished by wild and bloody swings in the front lines between the two sides, and by the
entry of the Peoples Republic of Chinas communist forces on the side of North Korea.
However combat stalemated at nearly where it began in 1950, along the 38th parallel, for the last
three years of grinding fighting. After several false starts, an armistice was signed 27 July 1953.
Since this was an armistice and not a peace treaty, and because several contentious issues,
like exchange of prisoners of war were not completed until November 1954, the then-new
Department of Defense did not officially end the awarding of the Korean Service campaign
streamer and ribbons until 1954. That explains why these dates are used on this campaign
marker. Because a peace treaty has still not been signed between the two sides after all of
these decades, the end date used could have been 1950 Present. US forces still serve in
the Republic of Korea and military crises regularly occur in the region. A later option was not
used, however, because it was too far from public expectations, and not in line with earlier
events like the World War II marker because US forces remained in Germany and Japan long
after the occupation date was ended.
Why the title Korean Service?
More commonly called the Korean War, most (but not all) official sources also identify this
campaign as the Defense of Korea, Korean Service, or some other variation. For a long time
officials did not refer to this conflict as a war, but rather as a police action. This was the first
major conflict in which congress did not declare war against a foreign adversary. The conflict
was fought under the auspices of the United Nations. Unlike World War II, which preceded it,
fighting in Korea was not popular, and many saw it as a side show diverting attention from the
main theater -- defending Europe against the Soviet Union. Other titles could have been used
for this marker, but this one was used to capture some of the sentiment of the time and to
encourage discussion and reflection on what is often also called the Forgotten War.

What is the significance of the Korean Service campaign streamer, and why only one
ribbon?
The colors of this campaign streamer (blue ribbon with white center and edge stripes) are from
the colors of the United Nations flag, under whose auspices American forces fought. Most of
the UN troops and casualties were actually from the United States or the Republic of Korea
armed forces, and its commanders, such as Generals Douglas MacArthur and Matthew
Ridgway, were appointed by the President of the United States. However, as a founder of the
UN and a major backer of its international processes, the United States symbolically used the
United Nations colors for its own campaign streamer and medal.
The Korean Service is the only medal from this military action that is represented on this marker
because this Veterans Memorial predominately displays campaign streamers of the conflicts it
remembers. Individual medals, as opposed to unit medals or campaign streamers, were also
awarded to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen for their service during
and after the Korean War. The United Nations Korean Medal (blue ribbon with 8 thin white
stripes) is authorized for wear by any US service member also awarded the US Korean Service
Medal (1951-1954). In 1999 the Republic of Koreas War Service Medal (gold ribbon with blue,
white, and red stripe edges) was retroactively authorized for wear by US veterans who also
earned the Korean Service Medal from 1950 to 1953. The Korean Defense Service Medal
(green ribbon with white, yellow, and blue stripes) is authorized for any US military member
serving in Korea from 1954 to the present. This latter medal was authorized in 2002 and may
be awarded retroactively, and is based on the fact that hostilities on the Korean Peninsula never
officially ended with a peace treaty, and military crises are still a regular occurrence there.

Why doesnt Korean Service include Occupation Duty as does WWI and WWII?
World War I and World War II were total wars in which two sides literally fought to the death of
the opposing government, and one side (the Allied Powers in both cases) emerged victorious.
The defeated powers (Imperial Germany in WWI, and Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and Imperial
Japan) were therefore conquered and their territories occupied by the victors until their
governments were restructured and could take sovereign control of their people and territory.
The conflict in Korea was different. First, it was a limited war in which both sides (the
democracies led by America, and the communists led by the Peoples Republic of China) fought
to attain political and military advantages, but neither prevailed and did not occupy enemy
territory by the end of the war. The armistice line separating modern South and North Korea is
remarkably close to the 38th parallel line that divided them at the start of the war. Even though
American forces have remained in South Korea from 1953 to the present day, they were not
occupying South Korea, since the South Koreans were American allies. American forces were
there to help support South Korea and defend it if needed, but not to restructure its government
and were thus not an occupying force. From 1945 to 1950, US forces were technically an
occupying force having accepted the surrender of Japanese forces in southern Korea (the
Soviets accepted the Japanese surrender north of the 38th parallel which is how that line
became so significant), and remained as occupiers long enough for a Korean government in the
south to organize and accept sovereignty by 1950. That occupation is considered part of the
aftermath of World War II, however, and hence there is no Occupation Duty as part of the
Korean Service.
Compiled in 2011 for the Silver Spring Veterans Memorial, PA. comments to bouchatc@hotmail.com