FORT DUCHESNE — The Korean War is often referred to as "The Forgotten War."
But representatives from South Korea visited Utah this week to present Ambassador for Peace Medals to 19 Native Americans from the Ute Tribe to thank and remember them for their service in the war more than 60 years go.
The representatives wanted to make sure the sacrifice of the Native Americans was not forgotten. A solemn ceremony was held Thursday at the war memorial for American war heroes, with Native American reverence and blessings from the Ute Tribe.
"Even when I think about it, I get emotional," said John Cole, who helped lead the effort.
The award ceremony was a chance for two living Ute combat veterans to get the recognition they deserve. Bernard Lucero Sr. and James Felter received the Ambassador for Peace Medal for their service in Korea.
Seventeen other families accepted the award for veterans who have passed, or could not attend.
"It means a lot, you know," Lucero said. "But not all of us came home, though."
He was only 17 years old when he went off to war. He followed two older brothers to Korea — Fred and Manuel, who was killed in combat.
"At 17, you don’t know," he said. The experience was overwhelming at the time. "What am I doing over here? Somebody had to do it."
Lucero is proud of the sacrifices he and his brothers made.
"The only thing I wasn’t proud of was that I was hungry all the time," he said with a chuckle.
Since 2014, the South Korean government has thanked American troops who fought with them with the medal.
The Korean Consul General flew in from San Francisco to personally present the medals.
"The Korean people are grateful for their service and sacrifice," Consul General Joon-Yong Park told the crowd.
He said the Korean people attribute a lot of their success and freedom today to the efforts of American troops like the Ute warriors who stepped up to help them fight for their freedom more than six decades ago.
"It’s about the veterans and them getting recognition by the country that they helped to save," Cole said.
So far, 1,500 combat veterans from Utah have received the medal, largely because Cole, who served in the 1st Marine Division, led the charge.
"It’s uplifting for me," he said. "It makes me feel really good because my comrade got recognized for what he did all those years ago."
Friday, nearly 20 more Utah combat veterans of the Korean War received the Ambassador for Peace Medal at the American Legion in Vernal.