North Shore in Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Korean War Veterans' Monument
Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, October 9, 2012
1. Korean War Veterans' Monument
American servicemen and women braved violent combat in Korea. The Nation suffered great losses in the War and spiritual anguish in its aftermath. Friends parted, lives were uprooted, futures were transformed; many died or were injured. We now join together to understand, to honor, to heal and to look ahead.
In Korea, each serving brought their own experience; their uniqueness, their dreams into peril. Families confronted the loss of loved ones and of future. With each soldier the nation risked a part of itself. Many thousands, each with their own signature on life, united for freedom.
This Memorial intends to symbolize and express the life spirit of those who served, directly and indirectly, in the Korean War. It is a reflection, in part, of just one who served. It is meant to signal remembrance of the breadth and pulse of their identity. And, it is a marker for the array of human qualities nurtured by the freedom we protect.
This Memorial is positioned and shaped to capture sunlight. As the sun travels the horizon, columns of light articulate, sequentially, aspects of human spirit, experience and feeling. Through solid and void, light and shadow, the sun traces a spectrum of individual and shared experience.
It is hoped this Memorial will become a welcome place; that
this page online
R. Allen Christianson
Memorial Architect
Erected 1999.
Topics. This monument and memorial is listed in this topic list: War, Korean.
Location. 40° 26.74′ N, 80° 0.484′ W. Marker is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County. It is in North Shore. Located on Riverwalk on the Allegheny River on Pittsburgh's North Shore. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pittsburgh PA 15212, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Mayor Thomas J. Murphy, Jr Trail (a few steps from this marker); In Memory of All Korean War Veterans (a few steps from this marker); Early Baseball in Pittsburgh (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); William Stanley Mazeroski (about 300 feet away); J.P. "Honus" Wagner (about 700 feet away); Vietnam Veterans Monument (about 800 feet away); First World Series (approx. 0.2 miles away); Southwestern Pennsylvania World War II Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pittsburgh.
Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, October 9, 2012
2. Korean War Veterans' Monument
About the Memorial plaque
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 10, 2020
3. Korean War Chronology
Plaque 1
June 25, 1950 through September 29, 1950
June 25, 1950 through September 29, 1950
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 10, 2020
4. Korean War Chronology
Plaque 2
September 30, 1950 through March 7, 1951
September 30, 1950 through March 7, 1951
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 10, 2020
5. Korean War Chronology
Plaque 3
March 7, 1951 through July 17, 1952
March 7, 1951 through July 17, 1952
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 10, 2020
6. Korean War Chronology
Plaque 4
August 12, 1952 through September 6, 1953
August 12, 1952 through September 6, 1953
Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, October 9, 2012
7. Korean War Veterans' Monument Flags
Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, October 9, 2012
8. Brief History of the Korean War
The Korean War erupted on June 25, 1950 when the North Korean Army organized, equipped and trained by the Soviet Union invaded the Republic of South Korea.
Encouraged by the prompt action of the United States, the United Nations condemned this act of aggression. For the first time in its history, the U.N. created a United Nations Command, with the United States acting as its executive agent, to repel the attack of North Korea and prevent Communist domination. In addition to the United States and South Korea, twenty other nations provided military contingents which served under the United Nations banner.
The fighting raged on for more than three years, as the U.N. forces drove the North Koreans from the Republic of South Korea and then stemmed the tide of the Chinese Communist Army attacks. The active hostilities ended with an armistice on July 27, 1953.
Because there has never been a political settlement of the war, an uneasy peace still reigns over the Korean peninsula. The provisions of the armistice agreement still constitute, among other things, a de facto boundary between the two Koreas.
For a number of reasons, the Korean War remains "The Forgotten War" and this neglect constitutes a great tragedy. By erecting a beautiful and inspiring memorial to those who served their country in Korea during one of the most significant military campaigns in the twentieth century, we can rectify this situation and give meaning to those who served our country.
This memorial can be viewed from different perspectives. On one level we want to honor and recognize those men and women who served in Korea; those who died, those who survived, and those who remain missing in action. On a second level, we want to educate the residents of Western Pennsylvania and the Tri-State area about what has come to be known as "The Forgotten War" and through the mechanism of the Korean War Veterans' Memorial, to foster an expanded awareness of how duty, courage and sacrifice are embedded within the American spirit.
Encouraged by the prompt action of the United States, the United Nations condemned this act of aggression. For the first time in its history, the U.N. created a United Nations Command, with the United States acting as its executive agent, to repel the attack of North Korea and prevent Communist domination. In addition to the United States and South Korea, twenty other nations provided military contingents which served under the United Nations banner.
The fighting raged on for more than three years, as the U.N. forces drove the North Koreans from the Republic of South Korea and then stemmed the tide of the Chinese Communist Army attacks. The active hostilities ended with an armistice on July 27, 1953.
Because there has never been a political settlement of the war, an uneasy peace still reigns over the Korean peninsula. The provisions of the armistice agreement still constitute, among other things, a de facto boundary between the two Koreas.
For a number of reasons, the Korean War remains "The Forgotten War" and this neglect constitutes a great tragedy. By erecting a beautiful and inspiring memorial to those who served their country in Korea during one of the most significant military campaigns in the twentieth century, we can rectify this situation and give meaning to those who served our country.
This memorial can be viewed from different perspectives. On one level we want to honor and recognize those men and women who served in Korea; those who died, those who survived, and those who remain missing in action. On a second level, we want to educate the residents of Western Pennsylvania and the Tri-State area about what has come to be known as "The Forgotten War" and through the mechanism of the Korean War Veterans' Memorial, to foster an expanded awareness of how duty, courage and sacrifice are embedded within the American spirit.
Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, October 9, 2012
9. Korean War Veterans' Monument
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2012, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 681 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 13, 2012, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 13, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 7, 8, 9. submitted on October 13, 2012, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
