The 38th parallel separating North Korea and South Korea. | Wikimedia Commons
The 38th parallel separating North Korea and South Korea. | Wikimedia Commons
State Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) has introduced legislation naming a section of Interstate 57 in Benton, the 38th Parallel Korean Veteran Highway.
"The 38th parallel is very significant to the warriors of Korea, as that is where the Demilitarized Zone was established in honor of the nearly 33,700 soldiers, sailors, marines and Air Force personnel that were killed and more than 100,000 were wounded in the Korean conflict. Franklin County shares a unique latitude line, the 38th parallel, and with that historical boundary, we'd like to place a sign recognizing and honoring those veterans with the sign simply saying ‘38th Parallel Korean Veteran Highway. Thank You," Swanson said from the House floor.
The Korean War, he said, "played an important part in American history and the veterans of the Korean War have earned our respect and admiration."
HJR 88 was introduced by Swanson last month. It passed unanimously in the House.
The resolution has now been sent to the Senate and referred to the Senate Assignments Committee.
According to History.com, the Korean war began on June 25, 1950 after about 75,000 soldiers from 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."
The war ended in July 1953, and the two Koreas are separate to this day, the website said.
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