Osan City Holds Memorial Service for UN Forces Smith Platoon

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park Chan-hyuk] Osan City solemnly held the '75th Anniversary UN Forces Initial Combat Commemoration and U.S. Smith Platoon War Dead Memorial Service' at Dukmi-ryeong Peace Park on the 3rd.

The memorial service was organized to reflect on the historical significance of the Battle of Dukmi-ryeong and honor the noble sacrifices of the soldiers who defended freedom.

The event was attended by Mayor Lee Kwon-jae of Osan City, Vice Governor Kim Sung-joong of Gyeonggi Province, and Lee Hyang-sook, Director of Gyeonggi Southern Veterans Administration, along with government and civic leaders, as well as key military commanders from both South Korea and the United States, including General Kim Hyung-soo, Commander of the Air Force Operations Command, David R. Iverson, Commander of the U.S. 7th Air Force, and William F. Wilkerson, Deputy Commander of the U.S. 8th Army.

Around 500 participants, including residents, war veterans, and members of veterans' organizations, joined together to honor the sacrifices of the UN Forces U.S. Smith Platoon war dead and reaffirm the values of Korea-U.S. friendship and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The program proceeded in order: national ceremony, flower presentation, moment of silence, commemorative address, remarks by distinguished guests, and a memorial performance by the Far East Broadcasting Children's Choir.

Lt. Col. Sean E. Stroh of the 2nd Battalion, 25th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army stationed in Hawaii, and six battalion members also visited Korea. The city presented a plaque of appreciation to Lt. Col. Sean Stroh to honor the sacrifice of the Smith Platoon and the symbolic significance of the Korea-U.S. alliance.

The Battle of Dukmi-ryeong was fought in July 1950, the first ground battle waged by UN Forces on the Korean Peninsula following the outbreak of the Korean War. At the time, as some 5,000 North Korean troops and 36 Soviet-made tanks advanced south, 540 members of the U.S. Army Smith Special Task Platoon fought fiercely against them.

Their sacrifice is evaluated as a decisive battle that provided critical time for UN Forces and South Korean troops to reorganize their defensive posture. Today, the Battle of Dukmi-ryeong holds symbolic significance as the starting point of the Korea-U.S. alliance.

Dukmi-ryeong Peace Park is the site of the first U.S. ground combat and the beginning point of Korea-U.S. joint operations. The city annually commemorates the UN Forces' initial combat and holds memorial services to carry forward the values of freedom, peace, and alliance.

Mayor Lee Kwon-jae of Osan City stated, "The Battle of Dukmi-ryeong was a sacrifice for freedom and democracy, and it became the cornerstone of today's solid Korea-U.S. alliance," adding "Osan City will inherit the historical symbolic significance as the starting point of the Korea-U.S. alliance and make Dukmi-ryeong a sacred ground of peace and alliance."

He continued, "To better inform the public of the fact that the roots of the Korea-U.S. alliance lie here in Osan, it is necessary to elevate the event to a national-level commemoration and provide national-level support such as installing a large national flag pole at the UN Forces Initial Combat Memorial Hall," appealing for government interest and support.