New Korean War Monument Unveiled In Cedar City
May 27, 2021, 12:14 AM
CEDAR CITY, Utah – In 1950, thousands of soldiers from Utah were nearly 6,000 miles away from home fighting the “Forgotten War.”
Nearly 70 years later, one of the cities where the Korean War took place has become a sister-city with the home of some of those soldiers.
In 2009, Gapyeong, South Korea and Cedar City, Utah formed a so-called “sister-city” relationship in 2009, which opened trade mission delegations between the two cities.
On Wednesday, Cedar City officials unveiled a new Korean War monument, dedicated to a battle known as the “Miracle of Gapyeong.”
“Our military unit, 240 soldiers, got surrounded by 4,000 Chinese,” said Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson Edwards. “Battled all night and at the end, there were hundreds of losses of life for the Chinese, but not one member of our battalion lost their life, and they were all able to return home.”
The monument, which was donated by the city of Gapyeong, was unveiled during a ceremony at Veterans Park.
The mayor and several other speakers commemorated the Battle of Gayeong with dozens of Utah Veterans in attendance.
Edwards said the 70th anniversary of the battle leading into Memorial Day was not lost on her.
“We couldn’t think of a better way to take pause, recognize our Veterans, recognize the bond between these two communities, learn from the past and honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice,” the mayor said.
Edwards also placed a wreath of flowers at the memorial.
According to Military Times, the toll of the Korean War included more than one million deaths in South Korea and one million in North Korea, along with 600,000 Chinese soldiers and 36,500 U.S. troops.
