The 48th annual banquet of the Korean Last Man's Club was attended by about 20 veterans who had served in the conflict.

The event was staged Saturday in the Lehighton American Legion Post.Officers re-elected were Robert D. Berger Jr., president; John R. Williams, vice president; Leroy Goldberg, secretary/treasurer; and James Wentz, chaplain. This marks the 19th term for Berger and Williams.Williams read the names of 103 deceased members of the club, including four who died since last year's banquet. The four members who died since last year are Richard Beltz, Karl R. Bisbing, Mark Marvin Mertz, and Robert V. McConnell.The toast to the living was offered by Bill Newton while Jack Hoffman gave the toast to the dead.The main speaker was Carbon County Treasurer Robert Crampsie.Crampsie called the military veterans "heroes." He said, "You left places throughout Carbon County and traveled 7,000 miles to places you never heard of. You served with honor. Then you came back and it wasn't a hero's welcome you received."The speaker said the Korean War has been given "the dusty phrase, 'The Forgotten War.'""We must never forget those who served and put themselves in harm's way," Crampsie told the veterans.The Korean War was fought from 1950 to 1953 between the United States and United Nations forces against North Korea and China. It ended with an armistice signed dividing the Korean Peninsula between communist North Korea and democratic South Korea.North Korea still proclaims that the war never officially ended.Displayed at the banquet was a Korean flag donated to the club by Gerry Berger, the son of the club's president.