WASHINGTON — The harrowing acts of service members more than a half-century ago have been immortalized on Forever Stamps that will take their legacy around the nation.
The Korean War Medal of Honor stamps will be widely released on Saturday, starting with a special ceremony at the Arlington National Cemetery.
“It’s an homage to these ordinary men who showed incredible acts of courage to represent our nation,” says Mark Saunders, a spokesman for the Postal Service.
Capt. Thomas J. Hudner, the first Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War, has traveled back for the release.
“I think that the American people are not fully aware of the horrendous conditions we fought in,” he says, reflecting on his crash-landing attempt to save downed wingman Jesse Brown.
“We will do whatever we can to protect our liberty,” he says.
One hundred forty-five service members earned the Medal of Honor for their efforts in the Korean War.
The stamps highlight 13 of them, the number still living when they were designed more than a year ago.
At the time of the release, just nine Medal of Honor recipients are still alive.
The ceremony begins at 11 a.m.
Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.
