Holiday holds special meaning for Korean War vets

YOUNGSTOWN — The Korean War, the so-called “Forgotten War” between World War II and the Vietnam War, is anything but forgotten by two local men who fought in it and witnessed friends die.

The war lasted from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953, according to the Department of Defense. America suffered 33,686 combat deaths and 2,830 noncombat deaths, including 120 from Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. More than 7,800 Americans remain unaccounted for.

Lloyd Gruver of Austintown and John Pariza of Boardman, both of whom left school before graduating to enlist in the Army, remember the Korean War in vivid detail, especially during patriotic holidays such as the Fourth of July.

Gruver, 81, attended East and Chaney high schools before enlisting Oct. 15, 1950, his 17th birthday, before graduation. In the fourth week of March 1951, he arrived in Korea, where he was deployed for 13 months.

Pariza, 82, born Dec. 28, 1932, in East Liverpool, moved to Romania with his family when he was a baby and did not return to the United States and Youngstown until 1947, when he was a teenager. He attended Hayes Junior High School and enlisted in the Ohio Army National Guard in 1949 and was activated in May 1950.

He arrived in Korea in August 1950, where he served for 16 months. He spent his 18th birthday in Korea.

For the complete story, read Saturday's Vindicator and Vindy.com