Letter from Korea: Freedom is never free | Opinion – NJ.com

By John DiGenio

Monday, May 30, Memorial Day, is a time of and a time for solemnity to honor our distinguished fallen heroes.

A hero, in this sense, is any member of the Armed Services valiantly executing his (or her) duties, sometimes wondering why, for, at times, it seemed so foolish, so worthless, and so wasteful. But the courageous service member performed, sometimes at the cost of his (or her) own life.

Memorial Day makes me reflect on the Korean War. The Demilitarized Zone the DMZ separating North and South Korea allows one to fully comprehend the true meaning of Memorial Day. It reinforces the important lesson that the blessings of liberty come at a great cost.

Korea remains one of the worlds remaining flashpoints. The DMZ, the final frontier separating liberty from tyranny, serves as a grim reminder that the acrimonious flames of the Cold War have yet to be fully extinguished. An eerie, thunderous silence permeates the Joint Security Area, the Demilitarized Zone, running along the 38th Parallel that separates the prosperous south from its bellicose neighbor to the north.

North Korea maintains one of the largest, forward deployed standing armies in the world. North Koreas offensive posture -- coupled with its continuing development of ballistic missiles, weapons of mass destruction, and highly trained special operations forces -- causes the Korean peninsula to be highly volatile. North Korea has reneged on almost every international agreement. That rogue state participates in illicit activities such as prostitution and human trafficking, supporting terrorist activities, narcotics and weapons trade, and counterfeiting U.S. currency to disrupt the stability of the Korean peninsula and the Pacific theater, undermine efforts to combat international terrorism, and weaken the enduring and endearing alliance between the Republic of Korea and the United States of America, an alliance forged on the battlefield and sealed by the lives of those who courageously fought to preserve freedom and democracy.

Some 72 years ago, on June 25, 1950, well-equipped military forces from a Soviet-backed North Korea invaded the South. By that time, considering the events that had just occurred in Europe, the Western world had become more aware, more concerned and more apprehensive about the aggressive and oppressive maneuverings of rogue nations. Consequently, led by the United States, the Allied world responded to the Norths aggression.

Technically speaking, since no peace treaty has ever been signed to permanently terminate hostilities, South Korea, the Allied nations and North Korea remain at war. Instead, an armistice, an agreement to temporarily cease hostilities, remains in effect. By the time the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, some 37,000 U.S. and 138,000 South Korean military members had given their lives to defend and secure freedom on the Korean peninsula. Their ultimate sacrifices were not in vain!

Today, the Republic of Korea stands as a living testimony to the sacrifices made during the Korean War. The Republic of Korea is a miraculous success story. Antiquated infrastructures have succumbed to modern technological developments. Parochial economic systems have acquiesced to expanding interest and active participation in international markets, to the extent that the Republic of Korea has the 10th largest economy in the world.

Without the hardships endured by U.S. service members heroically executing their duties in places such as the Busan Perimeter, the Chosin Reservoir, Heartbreak Ridge, and Pork Chop Hill, South Korea would have been denied the opportunity to emerge as a free, independent, and self-determined nation.

The Republic of Korea and the United States continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a combined effort to defend Freedoms Frontier along the 38th Parallel. Our two nations are firmly committed to preserving the peace, prosperity and liberty in the Republic of Korea.

Over the years, we have corrupted this day of reverence into just another national holiday. Sadly, we tend to take for granted the ultimate sacrifices that brave individuals have made to preserve those endearing and enduring freedoms and liberties that all of us enjoy.

On Memorial Day, we should remember the valuable lesson of the Korean War: Freedom is never free. We should take some time to reflect on those brave individuals of the Armed Services who died so we can continue to enjoy the blessings of liberty and live in freedom.

John DiGenio is a resident of Jersey City currently employed with U.S. Forces Korea. The views expressed are his and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. government.

Send letters to the editor and guest columns for The Jersey Journal to jjletters@jjournal.com.

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Letter from Korea: Freedom is never free | Opinion - NJ.com