Korean War Veterans Memorial—Overland Park

The beautiful curved wall of the KWVA Memorial pictured nearby honors the fallen and missing warriors of the Korean War. Between the black marble benches and the memorial wall, privately-subscribed memorial paving stones, available through the Chapter, are set in the path to honor individual U.S. military veterans of all services and all eras.

The Memorial is located in the greater Kansas City area at 119th Street and Lowell in Overland Park, KS. It was dedicated last fall amid a gathering of well over one thousand people. The rock piles on the site were erected to represent Korea’s battlefields. In time, a heroic bronze statue of a soldier mourning a fallen comrade will command the mound.

The thirty-eight steles at the entrance to the Memorial represent the 38th parallel, which still divides the Korean peninsula.

The Korean-American community of Kansas City has generously supported the building effort. Members wore traditional Korean finery to sing at the dedication ceremony.

General Richard B. Meyer (Ret), former chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, officiated at the dedication and delivered the eulogy. Along with Congressman Dennis Moore, he credited the many organizations and individuals who worked and donated to make the monument a reality: it is a fitting tribute to those who gave everything in our defense. The site is well worth a visit.