Officials with the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum said Friday, all Iowa veterans who served during the Korean War era, or served in the Korean theater since 1945, and their families, are invited to attend a meeting hosted by the Korean War Veterans Association, Tall Corn Chapter #99 on Saturday, April 14th, beginning at 9:30 a.m., at the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum at Camp Dodge, 7105 NW 70th Avenue, Johnston. The focus of the meeting is to inform Iowa’s Korean War-era veterans and their families about the U.S. Department of Defense Korean War 60th Anniversary recognition program, which is tentatively scheduled to stop in Iowa this summer.

A component of the DoD program is to provide personal certificates of appreciation to all veterans who served in the U.S. military between June 1950 and June 1953. More than 85,000 Iowans served during the three-year conflict. Personalized certificates of appreciation, signed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, are being provided to all Korean War-era veterans and the family members who supported them at a separate event later this summer. Eligible veterans or their families must sign up with the DoD to receive the certificate. The DoD also plans to launch “The Year of the Korean War Veteran” in June.

According to Sid Morris, chairman of the Korean War Veterans Association, Tall Corn Chapter #99, the main purpose of this meeting is to inform Iowa’s Korean War-era veterans and their families about this program and get these certificates to as many eligible Iowa veterans and families as possible. “We need to get all these names turned into the Department of Defense ahead of time, because they have to print those certificates prior to bringing them to us at our meeting in July. We want to get as many Iowa Korean War-era vets recognized as we can,” Morris said.

The meeting will open with refreshments and registration. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum and listen to a presentation from Brig. Gen. Janet Phipps, Deputy Commanding General of the Iowa Army National Guard. An informational meeting will follow with guidance on how to obtain the 60-yearanniversary certificates. There will also be an update on a proposed bus trip to Washington, D.C. to visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial in September 2012.

Additionally, the chapter is also seeking Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard members who have served in Korea anytime from 1945 to the present, in order to start a new Korean War Veterans Association chapter in central and western Iowa. Anyone who has served honorably in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force or Coast Guard is eligible for membership if their service was within Korea (including territorial waters and airspace), Sept. 3, 1945 to present, or if their service was outside of Korea, June 25, 1950 to Jan. 31, 1955.

For more information about the Korean War Veterans Association, contact Sid Morris at 319-266-5184 or by e-mail at morrisjr@cfu.net .