Jul 2, 2020
The Presidio's Role During the Korean War
During the Korean War, the Presidio of San Francisco was the headquarters of the Sixth U.S. Army.During the Korean War, the Presidio of San Francisco was the headquarters of the Sixth U.S. Army, which was responsible for the command, supply, and training of Army forces across the western United States.
The Sixth U.S. Army prepared units to be sent to the front, including the first units to be sent from the continental U.S. to Korea during the war – the 2nd Infantry Division and the 40th Infantry Division of the California National Guard. Hundreds of Californians in these and other units were inducted into the Army at the Presidio after being drafted.
As the war progressed, Letterman Army Hospital in the Presidio treated 6,000 casualties, many of whom required long-term care. Today, more than 2,200 men and women who served during the war are interred at San Francisco National Cemetery.
Photo: Built by the Korean War Memorial Foundation and designed by the Presidio Trust, the Korean War Memorial opened in August 2016 just outside San Francisco National Cemetery. Pictured: Attendees honor Korean War veterans with a moment of silence.
Presidio Commemorates the Korean War’s 70th Anniversary
On June 25, 2020, the Korean War Memorial Foundation and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea gathered at the Presidio’s Korean War Memorial for a ceremony honoring the sacrifice of Korean War veterans. Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. John Stevens – a 99-year-old veteran and champion of the memorial – laid a wreath. We were proud to support this event. Check out the video from ABC7 of the event.