and they looked within us to try to find answers, some of which were pretty bleak. >> did you and other vets returning almost put it behind you and move on? or i'm still trying -- you said it's not a forgotten war. >> quick story, i was stationed in new york right after the war, and my buddy and i went down to the vfw in schenectady and tried to join and they said you can join, you're not a war vern. you were in a police action. so at that moment in time -- >> that's what happens when a president doesn't declare war. >> that's right. and i'm a life member of the vfw now, but at that moment in time we were not eligible to join the vfw. so what happened was in many cases the korean war vern went back to the farm, went back home, went to church, got married and forgot the war. >> and especially in the past when we've had all the talk of the greatest generation of world war ii, which did not, i guess, in that sense include --

>> did not happen. that's why a lot of peel call it the forgotten war. we were saab witched between world war ii and vietnam, we were just in there and i was a police action, i wasn't a war. the people didn't get involved, didn't get ener sgrized -- ener jized. so they forgot about the war. the veteran never forgot. >> alex roland, we start our piece by looking at e vens today where korea is front page news, no doubt the big e change since the war is the incredible growth of south korea. but in what ways do you see the war as still with us, still with our politics? >> oh, i think it's with us because of the way the war ended. there wasn't a peace treaty, there was just an armistice which in fact south korea refused to sign. so the war is still unsettled in a way, and that has left open the open sore between north korea and south korea that prevents them reconciling their differences and creates the unhappy world situation that we are faced with in

north korea, a truly dangerous and perhaps irrationale government that has its hands on a very large military establishment and probably nuclear weapons. >> michael, you've chronicled all the presidents since, but here's another president, we're watching his officials, the secretaries there today, trying to deal with that aftermath. >> yes, and hopefully he learns from history, i'd like to think that presidents do. oftentimes they don't. 1954 after korea, at least after the armed truce, i think if we had been alive i would have said no president of the future is going to make the same mistake that truman made of not asking for war declaration, not explaining it to americans, making sure that veterans were treated well when they came back. and what happened 10 years later, lyndon johnson made virtually all the same mistakes in vietnam and to some extent george w. bush did in iraq years later. so an historian would be expected to say take a look at history. but here's a case where people did not and it was tragic. >> and a brief last word from

you colonel, because i know you take vets back to korea in your business. >> we take them to vietnam too, incidentally i'm a vietnam veteran also. >> so what is the experience like for -- >> the experience is awesome really. the korean government, and i have to give the korean government credit, very good credit because they invite the veterans back. this year they paid all their way and half of the air fare to invite them back. and it's really moving. i could tell you stories right now that would bring tears to your eyes for the veterans going back for the first time, and the first thing they do is begin to reflect on the buddies that they lost. and they say to themselves why me. why did i make it and my pudy john didn't make it. >> we want to thank you all three. alex roland, michael beschloss, colonel wiedhahn, thank you very much. >> thanks. >> lehrer: again, the major developments of the day: president obama signed into law the first major overhaul of the financial system since the great

depression. the chairman of the federal reserve ben bernanke warned the economic outlook remains unusually uncertain. and the obama administration apologized for firing an agriculture department worker over racial remarks. it turned out she was taken out of context and agricultural secretary vilsack said today: "i did not think, before i acted." the "newshour" is always online. hari sreenivasan, in our newsroom, previews what's there. hari? >> sreenivasan: learn about the newest special interest group on capitol hill-- the tea party caucus. that's on "the rundown." also there, a reporter's dispatch from the international aids conrence in vienna looking at eastern europe's drug problem, which is feeding the fastest growing h.i.v. epidemic in the world. there's more of paul's interview with the greek prime minister. and watch a conversation with all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. judy? >> woodruff: and that's the "newshour" for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. >> lehrer: and i'm jim lehrer. we'll see you on-line and again here tomorrow evening. thank you and good night.

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: and the william and flora hewlett foundation, working to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org