A U.S. Army tank and soldiers travel along a dusty road in South Korea in 1953.

Gene Smith/AP Images (tank); Shutterstock.com (all other images)

Article Options

Presentation View
Teaching Resources

Language

Fighting in the Forgotten War

Meet a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Korean War, which began 75 years ago. 

November 3, 2025
By Ellen Song

As You Read, Think About: Why is it important to learn the stories of U.S. war veterans?

Courtesy of Ernesto Sanchez

Ernesto Sanchez

Ernesto Sanchez noticed something odd. The U.S. Army sergeant was stationed in the mountains of North Korea. The trail in front of him was usually dotted with tree stumps. But now a few of them appeared to have leafy branches—and they were moving toward him. 

“I had never before seen trees walking around,” Sanchez says. 

He quickly realized that the “trees” were enemy soldiers in disguise. Sanchez knew he had to act fast, so he tossed a grenade in their direction. 

But then—BOOM! While running away, the enemy soldiers stepped on a land mine and died immediately. Sanchez’s split-second decision prevented an attack that may have cost his men their lives. 

It was 1953, and Sanchez was on the front lines of the Korean War. It’s often called the forgotten war, in part because it took place between two other major wars, World War II (1939-1945) and the Vietnam War (1954-1975). About 1.8 million American men and women served in the Korean War. Nearly 37,000 died, and more than 90,000 were wounded.

Now, at age 96, Sanchez wants to make sure no one who served in the war will be forgotten. 

Honoring Our Veterans
Watch a video to learn more about what we celebrate on Veterans Day.

Two Koreas

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

The Korean War started suddenly on June 25, 1950. About 90,000 North Korean troops streamed across the border into South Korea. A group of countries led by the U.S. came to South Korea’s defense (see sidebar).

Sanchez was a college student from Laredo, Texas, when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in March 1952. His parents and five sisters didn’t want him to go to war. 

“But I knew that I was going to serve my country,” he says. 

Sanchez arrived in Incheon, South Korea, in January 1953. Soon he rose through the ranks to become a sergeant first class. He requested to be sent to the front lines.

In the Trenches 

By that point in the war, much of the fighting took place in the mountainous areas of North Korea. Soldiers dug trenches, which they protected with barbed wire, sandbags, and land mines. They took shelter from enemy bombs and rockets in concrete bunkers. 

Sanchez avoided being injured, but many of the men he served with weren’t as lucky. More than 70 years later, he still recalls seeing a close friend being killed instantly by cannon fire, just 60 feet away. 

“Many good men gave up their lives,” he says.

Radharc Images/Alamy Stock Photo

The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., honors the men and women who served during the war. 

Coming Home 

On July 27, 1953, Sanchez was stationed on a hill known as Heartbreak Ridge. Two years earlier, it had been the site of one of the war’s fiercest battles. That morning, military leaders signed an armistice. At 10 p.m., the battlefield fell silent. 

Sanchez later sailed back to the U.S. and received a hero’s welcome. After finishing college, he taught math for 38 years. 

Sanchez is one of an estimated 355,000 U.S. veterans from the Korean War era who are still alive today. By sharing his story, he’s helping preserve the memory of all who served to defend freedom.

“I’m sorry I have only one life to give for my country,” he says. 

What You Need to Know About the Korean War

  • North Korea is a Communist country. That means the government owns all land and businesses and limits its citizens’ freedoms. North Korea’s goal was to spread Communism to South Korea, which is a democracy.
  • North Korea was supported by two powerful Communist countries, China and the Soviet Union. The United Kingdom, Canada, France, and 18 other nations joined the U.S. in defending South Korea.
  • The Korean War never officially ended. The armistice stopped the fighting, but North Korea and South Korea never signed a peace treaty. 
  • Since 1953, the two Koreas have been separated by a 2.5-mile-wide demilitarized zone, or DMZ. The two sides sometimes exchange gunfire along the DMZ. About 28,500 U.S. service members are stationed in South Korea.

1. How did the Korean War start, and how did the U.S. get involved?

2. Summarize the main idea and key details of the section “Coming Home.”

3. Based on the sidebar, “What You Need to Know About the Korean War,” what is the relationship between North Korea and South Korea like today?

videos (2)
videos (2)
Skills Sheets (2)
Skills Sheets (2)
Games (1)
TEACHER SUPPORT (1)
Text-to-Speech