In a display of longstanding camaraderie, four surviving members of Company B, 1343rd Engineering Combat Battalion, met for a reunion on Friday, June 28, to commemorate their service during the Korean War.

Out of the original 164 members of Company B who went to Korea in the 1950s, five are living today. Veterans Melvin Klem, Donald Blackburn, Walter Miller and Marvin Todd were able to make it out to Mac’s Sports Bar and Steakhouse in Athens Friday. Dale Casteel, the only other remaining survivor, could not be there.

The 1343rd Engineering Combat Battalion played a crucial role in the Korean War, constructing valuable infrastructure such as roads and bridges to help facilitate the movement of troops and supply chains.

The four men were joined by their spouses and family members — as well as the widows of deceased members of Company B — during the reunion to reconnect and pay tribute to those unbreakable bonds made through their shared history.

Nearly 2 million Americans served in what has become known as the “Forgotten War,” with close to 37,000 Americans losing their life in the three-year battle. These four men did their part to make sure that their fallen comrades would never be forgotten.