LYNN — William Manias remembers serving in the Korean War 65 years ago as a tank commander who saw combat.
“It’s a time I’d rather forget,” he said. “Between the battles and the extreme weather conditions, it was the longest year of my life.”
The 88-year-old veteran was one of dozens of vets who were on hand as Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy declared Thursday Korean War Veterans Day in a solemn ceremony in the City Hall lobby.
“I urge all citizens of the city of Lynn to take cognisance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance,” she said.
Michael Sweeney, the city’s Department of Veterans Services director, said crowds for the annual ceremony keep growing. The event attracts vets from World War II through to Afghanistan, he said.
“We all know we have to stand together, and when we honor one, we honor all,” he said. “We want to thank everyone who took time to come here to let Korean War veterans know that their services will never be forgotten.”
George Fitzhenry, president of the Lynn Veterans Council and master of ceremonies, thanked the crowd for making time to honor the men and women who fought and died in the Korean War.
Prior to the ceremony, a wreath was laid at the city’s Korean War Monument in front of City Hall.
As Sweeney read the names of the 32 soldiers who died during the Korean conflict, the Essex County Marine Corps League Rifle Team fired a salute to the fallen.
State Rep. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) said it’s important to cherish all of our veterans.
“I still remember the first time I went to D.C. and saw the memorial up close and the impact it had on me,” he said. “While I didn’t know much about the Korean War, it was a forgotten war, but on days like this I’m reminded how important it is to remember all of veterans. “We won’t forget you.”
State Rep. Daniel Cahill (D-Lynn) said the city has always answered the call when the nation has asked us to send its residents to war.
“As a community, we return that appreciation with respect and honoring them with the memorials in the city,” he said.
The war began in 1950 when the North Korean People’s Army crossed the 38th parallel, the boundary between the Soviet-backed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the north and the pro-Western Republic of Korea to the south, according to history.com. The invasion caused American troops to assist South Korea while China came to the aid of North Korea.
The conflict ended in 1953 and five million soldiers and civilians lost their lives during the war, including 32 from Lynn. The Korean peninsula remains divided.
