U.N. Day Celebration to be Held on October 24 at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery
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‘We will never forget their noble sacrifice’
Veterans and families will gather at U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Korea on Oct. 24
In celebration of U.N. Day on Oct 24, families of veterans and officials will visit the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Korea.To commemorate the U.N. Day on Oct. 24, families of war veterans will visit the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Korea in Nam-gu (district), Busan, to pay their respects to the heroes.
Bernard Doherty from U.S.A went to the cemetery on Oct. 5 with his family. “I didn’t know there was a U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan,” said Wood. “But ever since I came here, I am filled with emotions. I feel an immense sense of gratitude toward the soldiers who have sacrificed themselves in the name of peace.”
U.N. Day is a national memorial day designated by the United Nations, but it is also an international memorial day that is celebrated by countries around the world.
The cemetery was created in Busan to honor the fallen soldiers who died to preserve freedom during the Korean War.
On Oct. 24, Busan City will hold a commemorative service to celebrate the 68th U.N. Day. The ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. and will be attended by veterans, diplomatic corps and government officials to pay homage to the fallen.
The Korean Air Force Black Eagle special flying team will make a commemorative flight for five minutes during the ceremony. This will be followed by the entrance of flags of the 11 countries whose veterans are buried in the cemetery, laying flowers on the memorial and, finally, a silent tribute.
The commemorative ceremony on Oct. 24 will include flying the national flags of 11 countries with soldiers buried in the Cemetery, laying a wreath on the memorial of fallen soldiers and a moment of silence.
The U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Korea was created in 1951 and contains the remains of about 2,300 soldiers from 11 countries, including the United States (36), U.K. (885), Australia (287), Canada (378), New Zealand (34), Turkey (462) and the Netherlands (117). It is the world’s only U.N. soldiers’ cemetery, and the flags of the 21 countries that participated in the Korean War are flown at all times to show the sacrifice and willingness to preserve peace of these war veterans.
On Korea’s Memorial Day (June 6), about 300,000 visitors come to the U.N. Memorial Cemetery to pay their respects to the war dead. In April, about 200 war veterans from the British Commonwealth nations (U.K., Australia, Canada and New Zealand) were invited to the cemetery to show gratitude.
In 2006, a memorial monument was erected in the cemetery that lists the names of 40,895 U.N. soldiers who perished during the Korean War. On the monument, it is written, “We inscribe your names in our land with appreciation. We engrave your names in our hearts with love.” It is so their sacrifice will not be forgotten in the next 10, 20 or 100 years.
-How to get there: Walk 15 minutes from exit 3 of Daeyeon Station, Metro line 2.
-Hours: The cemetery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from October to April and until 6 p.m. from May to September.
The source of news: Dynamic Busan
