Korea

The presumed remains of 55 Americans killed in the Korean War are finally back on American soil.

“Some have called the Korean War ‘The Forgotten War,’ but today, we prove these heroes were never forgotten,” Vice President Pence, the son of a Korean War veteran, said Wednesday at Pearl Harbor. “Today, our boys are coming home.”

To these great American heroes, fallen so long ago: Today, as a nation, we breathe a word of thanks for your service and sacrifice. And we say to you, as one people, with one voice: Welcome home. pic.twitter.com/jQDYwz9Qux

— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) August 2, 2018

“Today, they are known but to God,” the vice president added. “But soon we will know their names and we will tell their stories of courage.”

The families of missing service members have been waiting 65 years since the Korean War Armistice for this painstaking process to begin. Fortunately, the men and women of our military stand ready to bring their loved ones home.

“For the warrior, this is a cherished duty, a commitment made to one another before going into battle, and passed on from one generation of warriors to the next,” Vincent Brooks, chief of the U.S. military in South Korea, said in a speech quoted in this Associated Press article. “This is a solemn reminder that our work is not complete until all have been accounted for, no matter how long it takes to do so.”

It is important to note that testing still needs to be completed on these remains, as this Fox News article notes.

“Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last week that the return of the 55 cases was a positive step but not a guarantee that the bones are American,” Fox’s Samuel Chamberlain wrote.

We pray that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un keeps his promise and continues returning the remains of our nation’s heroes. Most of all, we pray for the more than 5,000 military families still waiting, worrying and wondering if their loved ones will indeed be laid to rest in a rightful place.

Afghanistan

More than 14,000 families of U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan – now the longest war in American history – are also praying for their loved ones.

While the deaths of two Americans in Afghanistan last month should not be forgotten, there are encouraging signs that August could mark a long-awaited turning point as the conflict nears its 17th anniversary.

“Now, in a development that could build on (a June ceasefire), a senior American diplomat and Taliban insurgent officials have reportedly held talks for the first time, meeting in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar and agreeing to hold further sessions,” The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

The article goes on to highlight just how significant these talks could be.

“It was even more extraordinary that the Trump administration pursued a bilateral meeting with the insurgents, a step that amounted to a major concession and indicated how eager U.S. officials are to end the costly war,” Pamela Constable wrote.

While this weekly Stream feature focuses on the warfighter instead of politics, these negotiations may represent the best hope for bringing thousands of American troops home to their families. For their sake, we pray these talks are swift, successful and focused on one ultimate goal: peace.

Coming Home

More than 100 U.S. Air Force reservists recently returned to Oklahoma’s Tinker Air Force Base after a deployment to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. The elation felt by military families like this one was palpable.

A U.S. Air Force combat crew communications technician embraces his family at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma following a deployment on July 3, 2018.

Welcome home, heroes!

Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is co-author of three books about military heroes: 8 Seconds of Courage, Brothers Forever and Fire in My Eyes. Follow Tom on Twitter @TSileo.