These men fought in the mountains of North Korea in some of the bitterest weather recorded at that time. North Carolina has 789 men still listed as "Missing in Action" and there is very little chance that their remains will ever be recovered and brought home for burial near their loved ones.
The memorial is being built to honor their sacrifice and also to honor the men that were able to return home from the war.
The memorial will be built in Fairview Park in the town of Mint Hill, just outside Charlotte, and will be maintained by the town. It will be the largest memorial to the veterans of Korea in the state when completed.
The projected cost of the memorial is $250,000, of which we have raised $75,000 by selling "pavers" that will be placed in the walkway leading into the central area of the memorial.
We are working hard to have the memorial completed by June 25, 2010, which will be the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the war, June 25, 1951.
You will be very pleased when you are able to walk through the memorial and see what your donation helped to build. We have received many comments about how beautiful our concept for the memorial is and we are proud of our accomplishments to date.
The Korean War Memorial being built in Mint Hill was designed to resemble the flag of South Korea. It is an open design that allows people to walk through.
At the entrance to the memorial will be a large map of Korea etched into the granite walkway.
Walking forward from the map, the visitor will see five brass emblems that represent all five branches of the United States Armed Services — Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard.
Three large flagpoles are just forward of the service emblems and will display the American flag, the North Carolina flag and the flag of Mint Hill.
Just past the flagpoles will be the steps and a handicap ramp, which will take the visitor through the TAEGUEK-I, a 3 foot tall circle — 60 feet in diameter— that circles around the center of the memorial. The circle is a planter and will contain holly plants.
Inside the circle— near the center— the visitor will see four black granite pillars that are 4 feet wide and 11 feet tall. These will have etched into them the names of the 789 veterans from North Carolina that were either killed or are missing in action from the Korean War (1950-1953).
In the center of the TAEGUEK- I the visitor will see a large, solid granite bench with water trickling down onto it, called Yin Yang. Yin means dark and cold while Yang means bright and hot.
On the east and west sides of the circle is a life-sized statue of a soldier in his poncho.
The entrance to the park will be just off of I-485 and NC 218 in Fairview Park in Mint Hill.
Please send your donation to:
Korean War Monument
P.O. Box 690158
Charlotte, N.C. 28227-7002
We, the surviving veterans of the Korean War, thank you for your support and we are confident that you will be proud of the memorial and that you will visit it often in years to come.
William Stegall, Commander
North Carolina Chapter 265
Korean War Veterans
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