Military, Veterans, and POW/MIA Appreciation Day is an annual event at the state Capitol in early February. It is a day for lawmakers in both chambers to recognize the sacrifices of Colorado’s servicemen and women in combat.

Traditionally, that’s included joint resolutions on Military Appreciation Day, plus nine more recognizing Gold Star families, the USS Pueblo, the Tenth Mountain Division, the anniversary of World War II, appreciation for veterans of the Vietnam War and Persian Gulf conflict, and resolutions saluting the service of Latino/a, Native American, and African American veterans.

What has never been recognized in that annual remembrance: service by those who fought in the Korean War.

That changed on Friday, with a resolution from Reps. Rebecca Keltie, R-Colorado Springs and Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista; and Sens. Lisa Cutter, D-Littleton and Lisa Frizell, R-Castle Rock.

House Joint Resolution 1015 notes the Korean conflict is the “forgotten war,” and that those who served came home to little recognition.

The resolution stated that the General Assembly honors and recognizes the Korean War veterans for their service, “acknowledging that while the war was once “forgotten, their sacrifice will never be forgotten again.”

Martinez said it was a fight not just for South Korea’s independence but also for the United States’ global commitment to defending democracy and freedom against the threat of Communism.

It’s been 75 years, and it’s about time, Keltie said, noting the first-ever resolution. American servicemembers played critical roles in the conflict, whether on the front lines, in the air, or at sea. Their bravery helped turn the tide. Among the veterans, Keltie said, through tears, is her father, Leon Ross, who served in the 45th Army Infantry.

Keltie talked about the Korean War memorial in Washington, D.C., which recreates a famous photo showing her father and other soldiers wading through a rice paddy.

Martinez, who served in Korea, noted that 36,000 American lives were lost, thousands more were wounded, and more than 1.7 million military members served in the conflict. And the conflict is ongoing, Martinez said; there’s only a ceasefire.

Martinez said that any US military member who now serves in Korea gets a Korean Defense Medal.

The ceremony in the House chambers included two special guests: Richard “Dick” Robinson, now 92, and Wayne Tobey, who enlisted at the age of 19 and who will be 90 this year.

Robinson, who became a major in the Army and served in the 48th Field Artillery Battalion, earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart for his service in Korea.

In 1975, Robinson and his brother, Eddie, took over the Robinson Dairy, founded by their great-grandfather in 1885. The dairy was sold in 1999, but the brothers continue to serve as co-chief executives.

Tobey, a resident of Loveland, served in the war from 1953 to 1954, including on a cliff above the Yellow Sea, the scene of numerous battles during the war. He is a US Air Force veteran and radio operator in the 1st Shoran (Short Range Aid to Navigation) Beacon squadron.

Tobey was the only radio operator at the site, Keltie said. Their mission was to assist in providing radio signals to radar for precision bombing missions. They subsisted on World War II rations, and on a day when radio communications failed, Tobey used Morse code to save a fellow airman’s life.