SPRING HILL — Veterans and their families turned out Oct. 3 for Vetoberfest at Anderson Snow Park, where booths offered services, products and food for those who served in the U.S. military.
Among the exhibitors was Larry Tressler, president of the Florida chapter of the Korea Defense Veterans Association, who came to spread the word about his group and clear up a common misconception.
The association isn’t just for combat veterans of the Korean War, he said.
That war, which ran from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953, still has deep roots in Florida. In 2020, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimated the state was home to 105,660 Korean War veterans, among the most in the nation. California, Texas, New York and Pennsylvania also had large numbers.
About 6.8 million Americans served in the military during the war, according to the VA, and 1.79 million served in the theater of operations, according to the federal Defense Casualty Analysis System. Of the 36,574 Americans who died in theater, 33,739 were killed in hostile action. Total U.S. military deaths during the war, including those outside the combat zone, reached 54,246.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office also attended, displaying its BearCat armored vehicle.
For more information on the Korea Defense Veterans Association, visit kdva.vet.