Sixty years have come and gone since the communist armies first crossed the 38th Parallel.  Within three days, they’d captured Seoul.  By the end of the next month, they had driven the Korean army all the way south, to Pusan.  And from where things stood in the summer of 1950, it didn’t appear that the Republic of Korea would survive much longer. 

At the time, many Americans had probably never heard of Korea.  It had only been five years since we had finished fighting the last war.  But we knew that if we allowed the unprovoked（无缘无故的） invasion of a free nation, then all free nations would be threatened.  And so, for the first time since its creation, the United Nations voted to use armed forces to repel the attack from North Korea. 

And so on September 15, 1950, American forces landed at Inchon.  The conditions they fought under were some of the worst that Americans had ever experienced.  The temperature reached more than 30 below zero in the winter, over 100 degrees in the summer.  In many places, Americans and our Korean allies were outgunned and outmanned, sometimes by as much as 20 to 1.  At one point, they were hit with 24,000 artillery（火炮，大炮） shells a day.  By the end, the fighting had sometimes devolved into trench（沟渠，战壕） warfare, waged on hands and knees in the middle of the night. 

And yet, our soldiers fought on.  Nearly 37,000 Americans would give their lives in Korea -- 37,000.  But after three years of fighting, our forces finally succeeded in driving the invading armies back over the 38th Parallel.  (Hoaa!) One war historian said that while he believed Korea was “the greatest of all trials” for American troops, their performance was “nothing short of miraculous（不可思议的，奇迹的） .”   

Many of the men responsible for this miracle were only teenagers.  Others had just finished fighting in the Second World War.  Most would go home to raise their families and live out their lives.  And sixty-two veterans of the Korean War have returned to be with us here today.  (Hoaa!) (Applause.)      

Gentlemen, we are honored by your presence.  We are grateful for your service.  The world is better off because of what you did here.  And for those who can, I would ask that, again, you receive the thanks of a grateful nation.  If any -- actually, they’re all standing now so it looks like they’re doing great.  (Hoaa!)  But please give them a big round of applause. (Applause.) 

I also want to recognize the Korean soldiers who battled side by side with our own.  These men fought bravely and sacrificed greatly for their country, and some of them have joined us here as well.  So, thank you, friends.  (Applause.)   Katchi Kapshida.  (Hoaa!)  We go together. (Applause.)   

The veterans who have traveled here today saw battle at the Inchon landing and the Pusan Perimeter.  They survived the bloodshed（流血，杀戮） at Heartbreak Ridge and the ambush（埋伏，伏击） at Chosin Reservoir. At one point in that battle, the enemy tossed a grenade into a trench where multiple Marines lay wounded.  And that is where Private Hector Cafferata ran into that trench, picked up that grenade and threw it back.  It detonated in his hand and severely injured his arm.  But because of what he did, Private Cafferata served the lives of his fellow Marines. (Applause.)  He received the Medal of Honor for his heroism.  He is here today.  Again, please give him an incredible -- (applause.)

Each of these men served their nation with incredible courage and commitment.  They left their homes and their families and risked their lives in what’s often been called “the forgotten war.”  So today, we all want you to know this:  We remember.  We remember your courage.  We remember your sacrifice.  And the legacy of your service lives on in a free and prosperous Republic of Korea.  

Real change comes slowly. Many people don’t live to see the difference they’ve made in the lives of others.  But for the men and women who have served on this peninsula, all you have to do is look around.  Whether you’re a veteran who landed in 1950 or one of the Yongsan troops today, the security you’ve provided has made possible one of the great success stories of our time.

There are Koreans who can still remember when this country was little more than rice paddies（稻田，水田） and villages that would flood during monsoon season（季风季节） .  Not two generations later, highways and skyscrapers line the horizon of one of the most prosperous, fastest-growing democracies in all of the world.  That progress has transformed the lives of millions of people.

And you should know, one of these people is a man who went from grinding（刺耳的） poverty to the presidency of this country.   When I visited last year, I had lunch with President Lee, who I’ll be seeing later today, and he shared with me his story of what it was like growing up poor as a child in Korea.  And he said, “I hope the American people understand how grateful we are for what you’ve done, because we would not be the strong, prosperous nation we are were it not for the sacrifices made by the men and women of the United States military.”  That’s from the President of this country.