Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his family joined others in a cleanup of the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., underscoring the need to remember the nation’s history in the conflict.
Hegseth posted a video of the cleanup on his X account on Saturday. In it, he described the effort as an “opportunity” to share with his children the purpose of the Korean War, which was fought by the United States in the 1950s. The secretary continued by stating that those impacted by the war, including the families of those who served and fought in it, likely wanted people to remember what happened, adding that it is the current generation’s “responsibility” to pass this memory down to others.
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“That’s what I see days like Memorial Day, that’s what they’re all about,” Hegseth stated. “Veterans Day, it’s what it’s all about, Fourth of July is all about. Yeah, we understand it and appreciate it and that’s why we’re here, that’s why we serve, that’s why we’re doing what we do, but we have to very intentionally infuse it into the minds and hearts and souls of young kids so that they understand why it’s special and want to pass it as well.”
The defense secretary added that what people spend their time on reflects what they value in life, and expressed thanks to all the volunteers working on the cleanup of the memorial.
Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins was also part of the cleanup. Collins detailed how “reverberations” are created every time the nation enters conflict, comparing it to throwing a pebble in water. He added that while people may not see these reverberations later down the line, it was still great to see so many people remember and reflect on the service of others.
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Hegseth concluded that topics like the Korean War are not typically discussed among families, and expressed hope that events like the cleanup could raise these discussions.
The defense secretary recently delivered a prayer service at the Pentagon on Wednesday, which will continue to be conducted on a monthly and voluntary basis. Hegseth has defended the prayer service, suggesting that appealing to both God and Heaven is “a long-standing tradition in our military.”