The North Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs is on the lookout for veterans. Not just any veteran, but veterans of the Korean War.

Coming up on the war’s 60th anniversary, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Korean War Commemoration Committee is dubbing this “The Year of the Korean War Veteran” and they are looking for a few good men to recognize for their service.

Between June 27, 1950, and Jan. 31, 1955, it’s estimated that over 177,000 of North Carolina’s citizens served in Korea. Also estimated is that 72,000 are thought to still live in North Carolina today.

These N.C. veterans, the family members that supported them, and their descendants are being officially recognized for the “contributions of those who began the successful struggle to stem the tide of communism.”  By registering with the NCDVA, a Certificate of Appreciation for service signed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta will be sent to registrants.

Our veterans are being sought for another reason by those higher up the chain of command — a reason far more lasting: they want the history of that war. Not the history that makes its way into children’s textbooks, but the history as told by the ones who were there; the people on the ground. They want the war stories and memories of those who fought in Korea and saw the reality of that war. They want them before the opportunity to get them passes by.

Korean War veterans have a chance to be recognized in ways greater than a certificate in a frame. Now’s the chance to have their voices be heard, voices that will ultimately contribute to the history of the U.S.A.

To register for a certificate of appreciation, visit www.doa.nc.gov/vets or write to Korean War Veterans Certificate, N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs, 1315 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1315. To share your story with the Korean War Commemoration Committee’s oral history project, call 703-545-0522 or visit www.koreanwar.defense.gov.