WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — How can anyone forget a war?
"They call it the Forgotten War," Charles Pilon said, standing at the Korean War Memorial in Washington D.C. "I haven't forgotten. I'll never forget."
It wasn't easy for Charles to come here. He served 13 months in the Korean War. That was almost half the war. And it was more than enough for him.
"Yeah, a huge mark on my life," Pilon said. "My life changed considerably when I got home. I don't think I'm the same person."
The Korean War Memorial is three pieces. The first is a group of statues of soldiers on patrol in Korea. To their right is a granite wall with faces of Korean War veterans, representing all the veterans. And in front of them is a circular wall of names of every soldier killed in the war.
"I was a medic," Charles said. "We did what we could. We lost a lot of people. Their names are there."
Those soldiers died fighting a war that most don't remember ever took place. But in just three years, 1.7 million people served. 36,000 were killed and 4,700 were taken as prisoners of war.
The Arizona Honor Flight brought Charles and a busload of other veterans to Washington D.C. in September to see the monuments and memorials built in their honor.
As Charles walked past the statues of nameless veterans on the march, he stopped at the lead statue and saluted.
"I was excited to see my brothers," he said.
Then, he turned and headed for the wall, looking for familiar names. One in particular.
Chaplain Emil Kapaun served in Korea at the same time Charles did. Kapaun was captured and put in a Chinese POW camp. He had the opportunity to leave, but refused to abandon the men he was imprisoned with. He died in the POW camp.
Kapaun was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and is currently being considered for sainthood within the Catholic Church.
And he became Charles's adopted saint, even if Kapaun isn't technically a saint yet.
It was a little faith found in a battlefield that led Charles back home, and now, back to his brothers.