Ceremony held for Korean War memorial in SF's Presidio

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A historic groundbreaking ceremony was held Saturday morning for a Korean War memorial at San Francisco's Presidio National Cemetery.

The ceremony marks the culmination of years of work to get the memorial established.

SF Veteran fights for Korean War memorial

For those who fought in the war, the memorial is long overdue. Of the more than 30,000 graves in the cemetery, 2,273 are veterans of the Korean War. "This is called the forgotten war because I don't think history does not give it the kind of attention it should," Korean War veteran Quentin Kopp said.

South Korean Consulate-General in San Francisco presented a $1 million check to the cause.

Many Korean War vets gathered and remembered their service, more than six decades ago. They also celebrated the groundbreaking for a place that will enable future generations to learn about their service and sacrifice. "This is the first step, real, real step in getting this job done, so this is a very pleasurable day and I'm pleased to see the people that turned out," Lt. Col. John Stevens said.

The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953. At least 326,000 Americans served in the conflict and over 36,000 lost their lives.

Stevens spearheaded the effort to bring the memorial to fruition.

For more information about the Korean War Memorial Foundation, click here.