Defense commissary commemorates Korean War Veterans Armistice Day

FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. - July 27 marks the 71st anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement that was signed in 1953 in Panmunjom, Korea. The armistice officially ended the war that had begun on June 25, 1950, when North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel separating South Korea from North Korea.

North Korean military forces captured the South Korean capital of Seoul before United Nations forces, led by the United States, pushed them back all the way to the border of Korea and China. By November 1950, China had entered the war, and for the next two years, the opposing forces waged indecisive combat until the U.S., North Korea and China signed the armistice agreement to end the hostilities on the peninsula. South Korea never signed the agreement because it regarded a divided Korea as unacceptable.

The men and women who served during the Korean War were known as the Silent Generation. They lived through McCarthyism, a campaign against alleged communists in the U.S. that was carried out by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Many people accused of belonging to the Communist Party were blacklisted, and some lost their jobs, even if the allegations were not true.

In the U.S., the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II in the early to mid-1940s caused many Americans to decide to have fewer children than previous generations. The Silent Generation were known for their traditionalist behavior and their desire to work with the system rather than try to change it.

Many of the service men and women in the Korean War were born at or near the beginning of the Great Depression. They were children during World War II, and many of their fathers served overseas during the war. Besides surviving the Great Depression, these people also survived the Dust Bowl from 1930 to 1940 when the drought stricken southern plains of the U.S. suffered severe dust storms as high winds and choking dust swept from Texas to Nebraska. Many people and livestock died as a result. The circumstances of their upbringing led many of this generation to adopt cautious, conscientious behavior.

The Korean War provided the first confrontation between two nuclear powers, and as the war progressed, the conflict demonstrated how difficult it would be for either side to use atomic bombs decisively in battle. The war debuted the first U.S. use of jet fighters in combat, such as the Air Force's F-80 Shooting Star fighter jets.

By 1950, the American commissary food standards were the best in the world, according to the Defense Commissary Agency's (DeCA) first historian, Dr. Peter Skirbunt. The advertising industry was at its peak, and both civilian grocery stores and military commissaries started promoting their products. Television and radio commercials used big wording to grab the attention of consumers, and inside the stores, elaborate displays and bright colors piqued shoppers attention.

By this time, commissaries were all self-service rather than customers handing a list to a clerk behind a counter. Customers walked through the stores and selected their own items. There was a much larger variety of products by 1950, and nationally branded items were available in all commissaries. Plastic film and wrapping machines allowed for prepared, pre-packaged fruits and vegetables in many commissary stores.

It was during the Korean War, on January 1, 1952, that a surcharge started being collected at all U.S. Army commissaries. The surcharge was used to pay for operating equipment, supplies, utilities, and merchandise losses and spoilage.

From 1953 to 1959, there were six major supply points for ground troops in South Korea. Three of them issued rations and made bulk sales: Supply Point 46 at Taejon, Supply Point 41 at Seoul and the 55th Quartermaster Depot at Ascom City. The remaining three only issued rations: Supply Point 48 at Busan (previously anglicized as Pusan), Supply Point 47 at Taegu and Supply Point 39 at Uijongbu.

Families could not accompany members of the armed forces to duty stations in South Korea until the late 1950s, after the political and military situations stabilized. This prompted the start of several commissaries in country. In 1959, for instance, stores opened at Army posts at Camp Walker, Camp Henry and Supply Point 47 in Taegu. Commissaries opened at Naval Air Station Chinhae; Seoul, South Korea; and Camp Hialeah (at Busan) in 1961.

Stores continued to open in South Korea throughout the 1960s, including Hannam Village in 1968. In the early 1970s, stores opened at the key Air Force base at Osan and the Army base at Yongsan. Through 2006, commissaries also opened at Camps Carroll, Casey, Edwards, Howze, Humphreys, Page, Red Cloud and Stanley.

In 2022, President Joseph Biden proclaimed that July 27 would be forever known as National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. Three years after the Korean War Memorial was completed, the national observance was established in an amendment of U. S. Code Title 36.

Nearly 1.8 million Americans fought during the Korean War, and about 767,000 Korean War veterans remained living in the U.S. as of 2023.

"Korean War Veterans Armistice Day is a national day of recognition that honors the U.S. service members who served, laid down their lives, and are still missing in action," said Navy Command Master Chief Mario Rivers, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director. "As we mark this milestone, may we always remember their bravery and sacrifice in defense of democracy."

The military commissaries that opened in South Korea in the late1950s began a legacy of service that continues to support those stationed there to this day. Currently, there are nine commissaries in South Korea: Camp Carroll, Camp Casey, Camp Humphreys, Chinhae, Daegu, K-16 Air Field, Kunsan Air Base, Osan Air Base and Yongsan. These commissaries are a vital resource for service members and their families, providing them with affordable groceries and household goods.

-DeCA-

About DeCA:The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees, disabled veterans and other authorized patrons and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which supports the costs of building, modernizing and sustaining commissary facilities. A core military family support element and valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America's military services and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.