Boyd Hiser remembers the night the Korean War ended. Under a clear sky adorned by a moon on the verge of fullness, Hiser spoke quietly with his Army comrades. Though the gunfire had subsided, the soldiers were fearful the hostility would resume before the armistice officially ending the war went into effect.
The day was July 27, 1953. Exactly 63 years later, Hiser was present at the Korean War wreath laying ceremony in South Charleston to commemorate the end of the war and recognize the more than 54,000 soldiers who lost their lives during the conflict.
Fellow Korean War veterans Jim DeCarlo, Arol Squires, Kyle McGraw and Franklin Goff attended as well. Each donned their veterans' uniforms, made up of a light-blue jacket, white shirt, black pants and a black tie with a Korean War pin affixed.
The ceremony, hosted by the Mountaineer Chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association, took place at the Korean War memorial near the intersection of Montrose Drive and MacCorkle Avenue.
Goff, a Silver Star and Purple Heart recipient, served as the event's speaker. He recounted anecdotes about his recovery from the war, shared the experiences of his veteran comrades and explained why it's important for American citizens to acknowledge "The Forgotten War," which is what the Korean War is sometimes called.
In addition, he addressed the organization's efforts to build the memorial in South Charleston, which recognizes the soldiers from Kanawha and bordering counties who were killed in action.
One of those soldiers, Jack Burford, was Goff's friend prior to the war. Goff and Burford had joined the military together, completed basic training together and shipped overseas together. But after arriving in Japan, they were separated.
"In Yokohama, Japan, they sent him to the 1st Cavalry [Division], sent me to the 24th Infantry Division," Goff said. "We shook hands, and I never saw Jack again."
Goff was an honor guard at Burford's burial. To this day, he cannot pass by Sunset Memorial Park, where Burford is buried, without choking up.
"I don't want him to be forgotten," Goff said.
Following Goff's speech, Rose Squires, president of the women's auxiliary and Arol Squires' wife, placed a wreath in front of the monument to preserve the memory of those lost.
The purpose of Wednesday's event, as well as the overarching goal of the association, is to raise awareness about "The Forgotten War," DeCarlo, president of the Mountaineer chapter, said. Because Korea was flanked by World War II and Vietnam, DeCarlo said that veterans of the Korean War have been left out.
"They dedicate about a paragraph in every school book if you're lucky," DeCarlo said. "Our primary purpose is to not let people forget."
A member of the 31st Infantry Division, DeCarlo was wounded during the Battle of Pork Chop Hill and received a Purple Heart medal for his service. He was in the hospital for about two weeks before reentering the infantry. At the age of 83, he said he's among the youngest of the shrinking number of Korean War veterans.
DeCarlo said that no one ever remembers that he received a Purple Heart, but they do remember that he saw Marilyn Monroe in person during his time in the service. To secure a front row position, about 15 or 20 feet away from the famous Hollywood actress, DeCarlo skipped lunch and dinner.
"Twenty-one years old and single, I almost cried," he laughed. "One hundred and two thousand people got Purple Hearts, but only about 35,000 saw her in person that day."
The Mountaineer chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association holds meetings at 1 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at Harding's Family Restaurant in Mink Shoals. DeCarlo said that veterans of any war, friends and family of veterans or anyone interested in hearing war stories may attend.
Reach Jared Casto at jared.casto@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4832 or follow @JaredCasto on Twitter.