AMVETS National Commander Visits Far East Allies

This fall, AMVETS National Commander Jerry Hotop and AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary National President Dee Kreiling made their annual visit to American troops stationed in South Korea and met with allied leadership from South Korea and the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Hotop and Kreiling's visit to the Korean Peninsula came at a critical time, as tensions between the communist north and the allied south have come to a head in recent weeks.

Hotop said that from his visit with troops serving along the demilitarized zone, that American troops were on constant vigil, but remained upbeat about their mission.

While in South Korea, Korean Veterans Association (KVA) Chairman Park Se-Hwan, a retired Korean Army general, presented Hotop with a certificate of honorary membership in KVA for his efforts to foster international cooperation with the allied veterans' group.

Next, Hotop and Kreiling visited long-time allies in Taiwan to coincide with the nation's Veterans Day. Hotop delivered remarks prior to touring facilities that play an integral role in Taiwanese veteran support initiatives, alongside Kreiling.

On the return from the Far East, the AMVETS delegation stopped in Hawaii to visit with American troops stationed at Schofield Barracks and to pay their respects to those who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

AMVETS played an integral role in fund-raising, construction, renovation and maintenance of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.

(Photos: Top: Cmdr. Hotop and President Kreiling meet with leaders from the Korean Veterans Commission in Seoul, South Korea. Bottom: Cmdr. Hotop receives his honorary membership to KVA while touring the Far East. Photos courtesy of KVA.)