I’d like to introduce you to Joe Pak, a Senior Field Representative in my district office since 2013. Joe is an invaluable member of Team Quirk-Silva and has proven to be an exemplary community leader and role model in the Korean American community. He has worked closely with the Korean community in the sixty-fifth Assembly district in addition to providing constituent assistance to the cities of Anaheim and La Palma. His approach to assisting those who reach out to my office for guidance is always one of professionalism, kindness, compassion.
In addition to his professional duties, his leadership and “can do” attitude have led to the development of many important projects in our community, including the creation of the new Orange County Korean War Memorial.
The Korean War, which began on June 25, 1950 and ended on July 27, 1953, took the lives of 36,492 men from United States and its territories—Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and U. S. Virgin Islands. Of those, 2,611 were from California. During a visit to Lincoln Park, home of several war memorial sites, Joe was shocked to see that none of the names of those who gave their lives during the Korean War were listed. He approached several community leaders, including the President of the Korean American Federation of Orange County, with the idea of a memorial space where visitors could come to honor the sacrifices of the U.S. soldiers who lost their lives during the Korean War. After twelve years of hard work and community collaboration, his leadership saw to the creation of a brand new memorial to honor our Korean War heroes. The new memorial is located at Hillcrest Park, 1360 N. Brea Boulevard in Fullerton.
Thank you Joe, for being a great example of leadership and for your community service.