A Korean War Veterans Memorial was held at the Dorn VA Medical Center campus on June 25. The Columbia VA Health Care System (CVAHCS), the Korean Society of Columbia, and the International Senior College of Columbia came together to host the event.
This year’s ceremony honored U.S. Army 1st Lt. James B. Miller, a native of Marion, South Carolina, who was killed in action on July 26, 1953—one day before the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed. Miller was the first Black officer from Marion County, remembered as a trailblazer who broke racial barriers and led with distinction.
The singing of the U.S. and South Korean national anthems kicked off the program, followed by remarks from local leaders and a performance of the Korean folk song Arirang by South Carolina Philharmonic pianist Xueying Piao, accompanied by cellist Edwin Chi.
Miller’s sister, Mary Miles, held a letter her brother had sent home from a field hospital in 1953 while stationed in South Korea…