Remembering Canadians in the Korean War

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East With the dark clouds of war continuing covering the horizon we ought to remember the sacrifices Canadian soldiers made in the Korean War, which started on 25th of June1950, and ended 71 years ago on 27 July 1953 with an armistice still in force. It is important to pay our respects to our countrymen who made the supreme sacrifice, particularly in today’s world, when by counter-culture education there is a reluctance to remember facts of history which cemented the spirit and the patriotism of the nation. It is important today to strengthen our beliefs that we are a proud nation as the global situation is worsening. Korea is often considered a “forgotten war.” Most Canadians know that Ypres, Vimy, Dunkirk and Juno Beach are places where important battles took place. Kapyong? Not so much. It is time to remember. The situation that sparked the Korean War seems to be replaying itself in a different dimension, with quite the same players. Can this be a warning sign for impending trouble? The Soviets, after declaring war on Japan, occupied half of the Korean peninsula; North Korea, while the United States took over control in South Korea. The 38th parallel was chosen as the dividing line. It was assumed that the occupation would be temporary and that a unified, independent country would eventually be formed. The western allies soon found themselves engaged in a new struggle with their former ally, the Soviet Union. As the Cold War developed as rapidly in other parts of the world, especially in Europe, in Korea the 38th parallel gradually hardened into a permanent boundary. In the north the Soviets quickly established a communist regime which they decided to arm heavily. In the south the United States set up a shaky democracy relatively weakly armed. In the end, the Korea issue was submitted to the United Nations General Assembly. The Assembly created a Commission for Korea to supervise free and secret elections and to oversee the withdrawal of the occupation forces. In South Korea the Republic of Korea was established and was recognized by the United Nations General Assembly which recommended the withdrawal of occupying forces. In North Korea, the Soviets immediately created the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" under the control of a communist guerrilla leader, Kim II Sung. Trouble soon flared up along the border as both sides claimed the right to rule all Korea and on the morning of June 25 1950; 75,000 North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel into the Republic of Korea. The magnitude of the assault made it clear that this was a full-scale invasion. This was the first open act of aggression since the establishment of the United Nations Organization. The invasion was declared a breach of the peace, and 21 member nations joined forces to resist the aggression. The UN forces pushed the North Korean troops back across the 38th parallel and towards the border with Communist China. Alarmed by this turn of events, the Chinese intervened in the war which changed the tactical situation and complicated the war. Canadian participation in these hostilities marked a break with traditional policy. It was the beginning of a new era of involvement in world affairs which saw Canadian troops deployed around the world in truce teams, peace commissions and emergency forces. A new page in Canada's proud military history was written. In the Korean War 26,791 Canadians served and approximately 7,000 continued to serve in the theatre between the cease-fire and the end of 1955 and 516 lost their lives. The initial Canadian contributions to the Korean War actually came at sea and in the air. The Royal Canadian Navy deployed a total of eight Canadian warships to serve in the waters off Korea during the course of the conflict. The Royal Canadian Air Force’s 426 Transport Squadron supported the war effort by carrying supplies and troops; carrying more than 13,000 passengers and 3,000 tons of freight and mail without loss between North America and Asia. An important battle where Canadian soldiers distinguished themselves is the Battle of Kapyong. In late April 1951, the retreating Chinese and North Korean forces regrouped and counter-attacked. The South Korean forces were overwhelmed and hurriedly fell back in danger of being overrun and wiped out. The 27th British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade along with its Canadian contingent was called up from reserve to the Kapyong Valley to cover this desperate retreat. It was a wild battle and some Canadian positions were overrun; at one point the Canadians even called in an artillery strike on their own location to hit the enemy soldiers amongst them. The Canadians took cover while the attackers bore the brunt of the fire and the enemy was driven off. Holding the line at Kapyong was an impressive achievement of the 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and a testament to their skill and organization, when 700 of them held off 5,000 Chinese soldiers for two days inflicting heavy casualties, but it came at a cost. Ten Canadians were killed and 23 were wounded. Other battles where Canadian soldiers excelled were the two main battles on Hill 355. On November 22, 1951, the (nicknamed the “Van Doos”) was shifted to a new stretch of the front lines that bordered on the American-held Hill 355. The Van Doos were just getting settled in their positions under the shadows of Hill 227 and Hill 355 when the Chinese began an intense bombardment followed in the afternoon of November 23 by waves of Chinese soldiers storming the Van Doos. It was desperate fighting in the snow, cold and mud that left the Van Doos with 16 killed, 44 wounded and three taken prisoner, but they held their ground until the Americans retook Hill 355 for good on November 25 and the communist attacks came to an end. Canadians would again find themselves in heavy combat in the area of Hill 355 in October 1952. The Royal Canadian Regiment had been stationed on the hill since early September under intermittent fire from enemy forces. In the early evening of October 23rd the Chinese attacked. Under heavy assault they resisted and the Chinese withdrew and the Canadians succeeded in reoccupying the position in the early hours of October 24. This action had again taken a heavy toll, with 18 Canadians being killed, 35 wounded and 14 men taken prisoner. The Korean War was dangerous duty in a harsh land and 516 Canadians lost their lives in service during the conflict. Their names are inscribed in the Korean War Book of Remembrance located in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The Korea Veterans Association of Canada erected a Wall of Remembrance in Brampton, Ontario's Meadowvale Cemetery dedicated on July 27 1997 to the 516 Canadians who are commemorated in the Korean War Book of Remembrance. In a conflict some would come to call “the forgotten war,” Canadians would add to the proud national tradition of military service in the cause of peace and freedom that our country has demonstrated time and again in conflicts and peace support efforts over the years. Lest we forget!