As a result of WWII, the Korean peninsula was separated at the 38th Parallel with the North being occupied and supported by the Soviet Union and its allies, and the South, occupied by the United States and its allies.

This war started when the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. Active hostilities took place from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953, but to date, no formal peace treaty has been signed. Initially fought between the North and South Koreans for control of the Korean peninsula, it eventually escalated into what was considered by many to be a proxy war between the United States and its allies and the Chinese and Russian communist regimes.

This conflict was often called a "policing action," mainly to bypass the need for Congress to present an official "declaration of war." Many Americans, and especially American Veterans of the Korean War, consider this to be the "forgotten war" because it is seldom referred to as a major conflict by historians.

For a list of Vermonters who died in the Korean War, click here.