It took almost six years - twice as long as the war itself - but the ground has finally been broken on a memorial to America's Korean War veterans.
President Bush did the honors Sunday with an assist from two veterans he summoned from the crowd. He called the honor long overdue.A crowd of 5,000, including hundreds of Korean War veterans, braved sweltering heat to watch the groundbreaking ceremony at the 2.2-acre site near the Lincoln Memorial and across the Reflecting Pool from the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial.
"When tyranny threatened you were quick to answer your country's call. Sadly, your country wasn't quite as quick to answer your call for recognition of that sacrifice," Bush said.
"And today we say, the length of time it has taken for this day to arrive only adds to the depth of our gratitude," he said at the Flag Day Ceremony. "For what you did for stopping totalitarianism, the entire Free World still salutes you."
Congress authorized the memorial in 1986, but it took organizers 51/2 years to win approval from fine arts and planning commissions for their controversial design.
The memorial will feature sculptures of 16 larger-than-life soldiers advancing toward an American flag, a reflecting pool and a grove of linden trees. A low granite wall along one edge of the triangular field will be etched with images of those who supported the troops in combat.
It is expected to take two years to complete the memorial, financed by private donations and the sale of specially minted coins.
The war began June 25, 1950, when North Korean troops invaded South Korea, and ended July 27, 1953. The United States and other allies fought under the U.N. flag against the North Koreans and Chinese Communist troops.
Some 33,629 Americans were killed in combat; thousands more died from non-combat causes.
Bush paid tribute to all 5.7 million Americans who served in the military during the Korean War. Some 1.5 million actually served on the peninsula.