Hyde Comments on Visit to Sout Korea

Hyde Comments on Visit to South Korea
WWII Veteran Supports Transfer of Operational Control of Republic of Korea Armed Forces; Pays Tribute to General MacArthur at Inchon

U.S. Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R-IL), Chairman of the House Committee on International Relations, released the following statement regarding his recent visit to the Republic of Korea:

Having exchanged views with the South Korean President and reviewed the situation with regard to the status of U.S. forces and the state of the alliance, I have concluded that enough time has passed for Seoul to be up-to-speed in terms of providing for its own defense. I support a transfer of wartime operational control of the forces of the Republic of Korea to their own command at the earliest possible moment. The appropriate time has finally arrived, after more than a half century of sacrifice by United States Armed Forces in Korea. The American people welcome Seoul's expressed desire to take charge of its own defense in wartime.

As a veteran of the Second World War who served under the command of General Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines, I felt it a great honor to be able to lay a wreath at the General's statue overlooking Inchon Harbor and so to pay tribute to his memory. However, this statue stands for more than just one man, great a man though he was. It stands for fidelity. In times of war and in times of peace, the American people have stood with the people of South Korea. In times of tension and in times of calm. In times of want and in times of plenty. This is the enduring message of Inchon.

http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/109/news081606.htm