Korean War Veterans Memorial in Battery Park - one of the most unusual and emotional monuments of New York. Longtime battles in Korea, families of the victims continue to perceive a sharp pain: in this war, the country has lost in killed nearly 38 thousand people.

Korean conflict was the first major battle of the "cold war." The peninsula was divided into Soviet and American occupation zone since the surrender of Japan in 1945, led by ambitious Communist North, Kim Il Sung, who wanted to unite the country under his rule. June 25, 1950 his highly trained troops attacked the South and quickly captured the capital Seoul. The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on the protection of South Korea (USSR could impose a veto against this decision, but boycotted the meeting). Thus, legally aggression of the North opposed a UN force.

The troops in South Korea and the United States initially retreated south to a small bridgehead in the port of Busan. It seemed that their defeat is inevitable. However, northerners offensive ran out of steam, and the UN forces were able to gain a foothold. In September, they launched a counteroffensive on the ground and landed troops in the port of Incheon, near Seoul. The city was liberated, and in October took southerners and northerners capital, Pyongyang. Forces Kim Il Sung have been broken, but the fight broke China, the Soviet Union sent its fighter jets. Fighting was going on with varying success until deadlocked. Peace negotiations have achieved success only after Stalin's death. July 27, 1953 signed an agreement on a cease-fire (full peace treaty is not so far).

In the US, the war was called the Forgotten - in mass consciousness it seems to be lost on the background of World War II and Vietnam. However, its role in American history is enormous. It is from Korea to the US Army began the process of desegregation (in 1948, President Truman signed a decree under which black soldiers served under the same conditions as white). At the same time it began equipping US troops with modern weapons.

Memorial erected in 1991, its author - sculptor Mac Adams. The black granite stele height of 4, 5 meter cut-through silhouette infantry times of the Korean War (also called the monument - "Universal Soldier"). Stella is set so that it is visible through the Statue of Liberty. The foundation of the monument is decorated with mosaics depicting the flags of twenty-two countries which took part in repelling communist aggression.

At the monument there is an amazing property. Once a year, on June 27 (the day when the cessation of hostilities), a ray of sunlight passing through the soldier's head falls on a plaque with the names of New Yorkers who died in Korea.