Homecoming

WE KNEW an old woman who died just a few years back, never knowing what happened to one of her brothers. He died in North Korea during the late unpleasantness there. She spent the better part of 60 years not knowing. And, we note, so did the rest of her siblings.

Thousands of American soldiers and Marines are still missing from the Korean War, and thousands of families still wonder about the remains of loved ones. As time goes by, family members have to pass down this wonder from generation to generation—to make sure brothers aren’t forgotten as siblings and children of the soldiers succumb to old age themselves.

One of the “wins” that President Trump got in his Singapore summit was the return of more remains from above the 38th Parallel. On Friday, another 50 sets of remains were flown out of North Korea, on their way to Hawaii, where forensic workers will try to identify them. It won’t be easy. Other remains have been flown out of North Korea over the years, but sometimes they’ll turn out not to be American, or even human.

It’s been more than 10 years since the last homecoming for these soldiers. Efforts to bring home war dead have been overshadowed by the cat-and-mouse nuclear game that’s been endangering peace on the Korean peninsula. Now, with President Trump’s latest effort, at least more families might be put at ease. And their boys at rest.

The Korean conflict has been called The Forgotten War. Let’s make sure our fallen soldiers aren’t.