An Ambassador for Peace medal awarded to U.S. Army and Private First Class Richard Jordan, from the Ticonderoga area, by the South Korean government. (Provided photo)

SARANAC LAKE — An Albany County man is reaching out to local Korean War veterans — or their families — in an effort to get more veterans who served with the military in the Korean Peninsula between 1950 and 1955 awarded medals from the South Korean government.

Tom Mullins, a veterans advocate with the Francis A. Kelley Military Honor Society, is looking for veterans eligible for the Ambassador for Peace Award.

Mullins said there are not many living Korean War veterans left. It can be awarded posthumously.

His friend stumbled upon the award by chance a few months ago. They’re both military researchers. Mullins has talked with veterans bureau offices around the region and said very few people know this award exists. It started through the Korean government’s “Revisit Program” and expanded from there.

The award contains two medals and a proclamation in a leather case thanking the soldier for fighting on their behalf.

Mullins said foreign governments are often “extremely grateful” to the U.S. for its aid during wartime.

The Korean War started after the Soviet- and China-backed North Korea invaded the U.S.- and United Nations-backed South Korea by crossing a boundary line which was established by the U.S. and Soviet Union after Japan lost control over the peninsula following WWII.

More than 36,000 American soldiers died in the war.

Despite this, Mullins said the Korean War is often called the “Forgotten War,” coming short on the heels of the much more well-known World War II.

The medal is eligible for veterans who served in Korea or its waters during the war from 1950 to 1953, or who served with United Nations Peacekeeping forces there between 1954 and 1955.

It’s a simple application form — only 12 lines long. It requires identifying personal and military information, as well as contact information. Each application should be attached to a DD-214 or discharge papers from active duty. Soldiers killed in action do not always get a DD-214, but Mullins said he’s found other resources to find other identifying documents at honorstates.org or koreanwar.org.

If people are interested in applying for a medal, Mullins said he is glad to help people through the process. He can be reached at jemullins51@hotmail.com or at 518-272-1749.

To apply for the medal, fill out the application form at tinyurl.com/jard5kuc, attach the correct military service proof documentation and send it to the Korean embassy by email at kcgnypolitical Department of Political Affairs / Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York / 460 Park Ave. 9th Fl. / New York, NY 10022.”

–

North Country residents awarded

–

Last month, two Ticonderoga-area men were approved for posthumous Ambassador for Peace Awards.

Sgt. Howard R. Belden was only 19 when he was shot in the back during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. His medical transport truck was ambushed and he was listed as “missing in action.” Belden’s remains were not discovered until 2018 when President Donald Trump and North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un held a summit and North Korea released the remains of 55 American soldiers. His remains were not identified until DNA testing in 2021.

Private First Class Richard W. Jordan was killed in a missile attack on April 1, 1951 during Operation Ripper on the outskirts of Seoul. He is buried in Ticonderoga.

Walter Waters was only two or three months old at the time his uncle Richard died.

“I never really got the chance to know him,” Waters said.

The loss of his uncle was rough for his grandparents, his mother and her two other brothers. To be able to honor his uncle’s service decades after his death makes Waters feel proud.

He keeps the medal displayed in his house.

Waters said Mullins was helpful in the application process, even finding Jordan’s birthday, which was unknown to the family now.

–

Operation Recognition

–

Mullins also helps veterans sign up for “Operation Recognition,” which issues high school diplomas for any veteran who joined the military before completing school. This was more common during WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Nowadays, a high school diploma or GED is required to join the military.

Mullins said, after these soldiers returned from war, many did not go back to finish school. They came back with a major maturity jump and needed to start working to support their families, or began starting families of their own.

A 2011 state Education Department law started Operation Recognition to recognize their sacrifice. It requires similar documentation to apply for as the Ambassador for Peace Award.

Mullins has helped 83 New York veterans get diplomas so far.

An application form for Operation Recognition can be found at tinyurl.com/y9697enk.