Bipartisan, Bicameral Coalition Investigates Korean War Memorial Inaccuracies

Washington, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) joined House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Ranking Member Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Senate Committee on Armed Services Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, seeking answers regarding the hundreds of inaccuracies on the Korean War Memorial's recently-unveiled Wall of Remembrance.

 

The full text of the letter is below:

 

Dear Secretary Austin:

 

Nearly 1.8 million courageous Americans valiantly served in theater during the Korean War,  and their legacy of service and sacrifice is enshrined in the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Since the Memorial’s dedication on July 27, 1995, millions of visitors have paid tribute to the bravery of our Korean War veterans. In 2016, Congress authorized a new Wall of Remembrance (Remembrance Wall) to honor more than 36,000 American servicemembers who died in theater in support of what is often called “The Forgotten War.” The intent of the Remembrance Wall is to “eternally honor the brave Americans who gave their lives in defense of freedom during the Korean War”,  ensuring that their sacrifices are not forgotten.

 

Recent reports, however, claim that the newly unveiled Remembrance Wall may contain more than 1,000 spelling errors and hundreds of additional inaccuracies.  As part of the law enacting the Remembrance Wall, Congress directed the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop criteria for including names on the Remembrance Wall and transmit a complete, accurate list based on such criteria to the Department of the Interior (DOI).  The law also prohibited the use of federal funds to construct the Remembrance Wall.  A non-profit organization, the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation (Foundation), constructed the wall using official information from DOD for the names of the fallen and worked with DOI for the design and placement of the Remembrance Wall.  Discrepancies related to the number of names listed on the Remembrance Wall for both American veterans and members of the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army remain today on the websites of DOD, DOI, and the Foundation. 

 

Errors of this magnitude should not have made it past the initial blueprints, much less carved into stone, and certainly not erected and unveiled to the public. We find these errors deeply concerning and write to seek accountability on how the Remembrance Wall’s glaring flaws went unnoticed until post-construction.

 

In the words of the late sponsor of the authorizing legislation and Korean War veteran, Representative Sam Johnson, “the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance would eternally honor the brave Americans who gave their lives in defense of freedom during the Korean War. . . as a visual record of their sacrifice.”  We find it unfortunate that what should have been a touching tribute for bereaved family members and a grateful nation has turned into an embarrassing gaffe. We must take the necessary steps to correct the issue, find the communication and research flaws that caused the errors, and ensure such errors are never repeated.

 

To assist the Committees with their oversight activities, please schedule a briefing with the Committees and produce the following, as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00 p.m., March 23, 2023: