The Korean government wants to honor U.S. Korean War veterans with the Ambassador for Peace medal.

The Idaho Division of Veterans Services is seeking applications from either living veterans or family members of those who died.

Veterans may receive their medals at a ceremony at 10 a.m. on July 27, the anniversary date of the end of the Korean War in 1953, at American Legion Post 143, 1138 E. Poleline Ave., Post Falls. Applicants can also have the medals mailed.

"The South Korean government, via the Idaho Division of Veterans Services, is seeking Korean War veterans so they may be presented with the medal for helping keep South Korea from falling to communism," said Kris Phillips, Post 143 commander.

Applications are at www.veterans.idaho.gov/news. They can be mailed to: Idaho Division of Veterans Services, Attn: Mitzi Cheldelin, 351 Collins Road, Boise, ID 83702. Applications can also be emailed to: mitzi.cheldelin@veterans.idaho.gov. Applicants should include their DD214 or service record if possible.

Applications must be submitted to the state by July 12 to be honored at the Post Falls ceremony. If applications are submitted after that date, veterans are still eligible to have a medal sent to them.

"This is a fabulous honor for all Korean War veterans," Phillips said. "The award may be received posthumously."

Cheldelin said the Korean government has been honoring veterans in various states for the past few years and the gesture has reached Idaho this year.

"There will be ceremonies at the three state veterans homes (in Boise, Lewiston and Pocatello) and in Post Falls, where there will be a future home," she said, adding that the hope is to break ground at the Post Falls site in the next two years.

To be eligible for the medal, veterans must have served in Korea from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953, or participated in peacekeeping operations until the end of 1955.

The medal was first presented to veterans as a special memento for those who returned to South Korea through the Revisit Korea program. It has since expanded to veterans who are unable to visit Korea.