Rogers Teacher Experiences Unveiling Of New Korean War Memorial In D.C. | Press And News

(Photo courtesy of Kristen Larson)

Rogers Middle School social studies teacher Kristen Larson was able to attend through the Korean War Legacy Foundation the unveiling of the new Korean War Veterans Wall Memorial July 25- 27.

(Graphic courtesy of Korean War veterans memorial foundation)

The new Korean War Veterans Wall Memorial honors more than 36,000 Americans who died supporting the Korean War and over 7,100 Koreans who died while augmenting the Army.

(PHOTO courtesy of Kristen Larson)

Minister Min-Shik Park, Minister of Patriots & Veterans Affairs, speaks to the crowd during the unveiling ceremony that Larson attended.

(Photo courtesy of Kristen Larson)

Rogers Middle School social studies teacher Kristen Larson was able to attend through the Korean War Legacy Foundation the unveiling of the new Korean War Veterans Wall Memorial July 25- 27.

(Graphic courtesy of Korean War veterans memorial foundation)

The new Korean War Veterans Wall Memorial honors more than 36,000 Americans who died supporting the Korean War and over 7,100 Koreans who died while augmenting the Army.

(PHOTO courtesy of Kristen Larson)

Minister Min-Shik Park, Minister of Patriots & Veterans Affairs, speaks to the crowd during the unveiling ceremony that Larson attended.

Black granite shone back at the visitors July 25- 27 at the new Korean War Veterans Wall Memorial, including Rogers Middle School social studies teacher Kristen Larson.

Teachers from around America were invited by the Korean War Legacy Foundation to experience the unveiling of the new Korean War Veterans Wall Memorial with Korean War veterans and their families.

Larson was chosen to attend the World Congress of Teachers event at Arlington, Virginia for teacher development after applying. There she was able to interact with teachers from different states, engage in activities and a curriculum book “Honoring Sacrifice: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Korean War.”

She was also able to attend the anniversary of the armistice of the Korean War and see the unveiling of the new Korean War wall memorial that was built next to the Korean War Veterans statue memorial in West Potomac Park in D.C. The whole trip was funded for Larson by the program.

This is not the first large professional development trip for Larson. She has been working for the Elk River School District for around 15 years and each summer, she tries to find at least one professional development opportunity. In the past, she has gone to Japan a couple of times for teacher seminars.

“I’m really interested in Asia and have done a lot of professional development about World War II, particularly Japan, and I think just noticing the more you know, the more you realize you don’t know,” Larson said. “I noticed Korea was an area that I’d want to know more about. And sure enough, learning a little bit makes you go ‘oh yeah’ there’s so much I want to know, so much more to learn and that translates to stories I can share with my students. I think there are students who would be really interested in hearing about the Korean War and life and culture.”

Larson was able to visit the monument a day before the unveiling ceremony with Blue Star Families who had family members who died or were missing in action during the Korean War. The first Korean Memorial in D.C. was just statues and it was unveiled in 1992.

Now 27 years later, the wall of names accompanies the first memorial, listing more than 36,000 Americans who died supporting the War and over 7,100 Koreans who died while augmenting the Army. The granite used for the wall is from Cold Spring, Minnesota.

“That was incredible,” Larson said. “It was moving to see the families there who would have had parents and grandparents [with their names on the wall]... Then the next day there was the official dedication ceremony, which that too gives you chills just thinking about because there were veterans there that were in their 90s there to see this really important piece that I think was always wanted in that memorial that was missing, but now there.”

It was not the first time Larson has been to Washington D.C. She has taken student groups to the capital and shown them the Korean War statue memorial. In the future, because of this trip, Larson hopes to take students to different veteran memorials within the Rogers area, specifically the Korean War Memorial in St. Paul.

“I think a lesson in history too on how we remember, what we remember, what is left, all of those questions,” Larson said, reflecting on what she wishes to teach her students in the future with the knowledge she gained from the experience. “As a teacher I always want things that make kids interested and be curious.”

The new curriculum book that was given to Larson and the other teachers is from a professor in New York that wishes to make a digital archive of Korean War Veterans’ stories. The Korean War Legacy Foundation has been conducting a Korean War Legacy Project documenting veterans’ stories.

Larson and the other teachers were given the task of transcribing the story of a veteran. Larson’s assignment was the story of a solider in the Norwegian army who served in the medical tent as an electrician in charge of the x-ray machine in the Korean War. So far, more than 1,500 stories have been transcribed by the Korean War Legacy Foundation.

The archive is still being worked upon and if anyone wishes to learn more about how to participate in being a transcribe they may contact her at kristen.larson@isd728.org or the organization by going to koreanwarlegacy.org.

In the future, Larson hopes to take more professional development trips and opportunities.

“I’ve found that it keeps me interested, it keeps me excited and I have interesting stories to share with my students, and pictures and artifacts that I can bring back and share,” Larson said. “My students would roll their eyes, but the more I learn about history and social studies the more I love it. I think there’s so much out there and there’s so much right in your community too to learn about the history of right where you’re at.”

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