Oregon Korean War Memorial facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oregon Korean War Memorial |
|
|---|---|
| Oregon | |
Flags and main monument
|
|
| For Korean War | |
| Established | 2000 |
| Location | 45°18′24″N 122°45′47″W / 45.3066°N 122.7631°W near Wilsonville, Oregon, USA
|
The Oregon Korean War Memorial is a special place in Wilsonville, Oregon, United States. It was finished in 2000. This memorial honors soldiers from Oregon who fought in the Korean War. It also remembers the Korean people affected by the war. The memorial is part of a large city park. It has a long granite wall with the names of Oregonians who died or went missing during the war.
Contents
Building the Oregon Korean War Memorial
Raising money for the memorial in Oregon started in 1996. This was 43 years after the agreement that ended the Korean War. The city of Wilsonville approved the memorial's design on October 14, 1996. It was planned to be part of Town Center Park.
A special ceremony to start construction happened on May 8, 1998. The project included a visitors' center for the city. Clackamas County helped pay for part of the visitors' center. The plans included a plaza with trees. This plaza would honor the 287 soldiers from Oregon who died in the war. The war lasted from 1950 to 1953. It also honored the nearly one million Koreans who died.
Most of the memorial was paid for by fundraising and private donations. The Oregon Korean War Veterans Association raised $50,000 by the time building began. The first design was a smaller version of Seoul's East Gate.
Donations and Dedication
Hyundai Semiconductor America gave $100,000 to the project in January 2000. Other money for the $450,000 memorial came from local companies and people. Korean-Americans donated almost $70,000. Individuals gave a total of $110,000. South Korea also donated $50,000.
On September 30, 2000, the Oregon Korean War Memorial was officially opened. A Korean official and Oregon politicians attended the ceremony. These included state supreme court justice George Van Hoomissen and state senator John Lim. About 60,000 Oregonians fought in the Korean War. Sadly, 287 of them were killed.
Changes and Visits
In 2002, some damage happened at the memorial. Because of this, security cameras were put in place. In June 2006, a 15-foot extension was added to the granite wall. This was to thank the Korean community for their help in building the monument. Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung visited the memorial in April 2008.
Features of the Memorial
The memorial has a 500-foot (150 m)-long concrete path. This path curves through the 5.5-acre (22,000 m2) park. Two rows of cherry trees line the path. It passes a red granite wall.
The Granite Wall
The main part of the memorial is this wall. It has the names of the 298 Oregonians who died or went missing in action during the war. The wall is made of Carnelian granite. It was first 94 feet (29 m) long. An extra 15 feet (4.6 m) was added in 2006. In front of the wall is a 12-foot (3.7 m)-wide brick area. This area goes along the whole wall. Bricks in this plaza have the names of people who donated money to the memorial.
Other Important Details
Other parts of the memorial include flags. These are the flags of the U.S., South Korea, Oregon, the United Nations, and POW/MIA. There is also a water fountain. Bronze plaques have important dates and events from the war. The flags fly on 30-foot (9.1 m) tall flagpoles. Besides the memorial, the park also has a 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) visitors' center. This center cost $1.5 million to build.
