Local veterans to attend Korean War Memorial ceremony

Christy Bailey, The News Courier, Athens, Ala.
·2 min read

Jul. 23—On Wednesday, July 27, 2022, a new feature at the Korean War Memorial in Washington D.C. will be unveiled: a remembrance wall honoring the Americans who died in the Korean War. Among those who will travel to the nation's capital for the special occasion are 17 veterans from North Alabama and surrounding areas. Four of the veterans are from Athens-Limestone County.

Two local men, Marvin Todd and Walter Miller, both of Athens-Limestone, are members of Company B, 1343rd Engineering Combat Battalion and will travel to the unveiling.

They were among the 175 men from the Army National Guard mobilized from Athens on August 14, 1950, under the command of General Clyde Mabry. Company B left for Korea in February of 1951 and returned home in January of 1952. There are 10 living soldiers remaining from this Company in Athens.

Also attending the trip from Athens is Colonel Paul Reeves, Army. He joined the Army in 1947 and arrived in Korea in 1952 as a Field Commander. Colonel Reeves was in Vietnam from 1965 to 1968 and spent 25 years in the military.

Marvin Brown served in the Navy. He served on the USS Hugh Purvis (DD709) from 1950 to 1954 and earned the rank of Petty Officer Second Class (E-5). After four years of active duty service, he continued to serve in the Navy Reserve Seabees until 1991.

They will travel on the Korean War Veteran Honor Trip for the official unveiling of the Korean War Memorial,Monday, July 25, 2022. The trip was made possible thanks to the joint mission effort by two charity organizations, Legacy 4 Korean War Veterans Foundation, co-founder and past president, K.C. Bertling, and the Honoring Veteran Legacies president, Chris Batté, and co-founder, Elaine Oaks.

The unveiling will take place Wednesday and be attended by the President of the United States and the President of South Korea.