Every November 11th, Canadians across the country pause in a silent moment of remembrance for the men and women who served our country during wartime. We honour those who fought for Canada - in the First World War (1914-1918), the Second World War (1939-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953). More than 1,500,000 Canadians served overseas - more than 100,000 died. They gave their lives and their future so that we may live in peace.
Thanks to all the people who served our country.
Cheers,
Aquaman
Why Remember
We must remember. If we do not, the sacrifice of those one hundred thousand Canadian lives will be meaningless. They died for us, for their homes and families and friends, for a collection of traditions they cherished and a future they believed in; they died for Canada. The meaning of their sacrifice rests with our collective national consciousness; our future is their monument. (Heather Robertson, A Terrible Beauty, The Art of Canada at War, Toronto, Lorimer, 1977.)
These wars touched the lives of Canadians of all ages, all races, all social classes. Fathers, sons, daughters, sweethearts were killed in action, were wounded, and many of those who returned were forever changed. Those who stayed in Canada also served - in factories,, in voluntary service organizations, wherever they were needed.
Yet, for many of us, war is a phenomenon viewed through the lens of a television camera or a journalist's account of battles fought in distant parts of the world. Our closest physical and emotional experience may be the discovery of wartime memorabilia in a family attic. But even items such as photographs, uniform badges, medals, diaries can seem vague and unconnected to the life of their owner. For those of us who were born during peacetime, all wars appear to be far removed from our daily activities.
As Canadians we often take for granted our current way of life, our freedom to participate in cultural and political events, and our right to live under a government of our choice. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in our constitution ensures that all Canadians enjoy protection under the law. The Canadians who went off to war in distant lands went in the belief that such rights and freedoms were being threatened. They truly believed that "Without freedom there can be no ensuring peace and without peace no enduring freedom." (King George VI at dedication of National War Memorial, Ottawa, May 21, 1939.)
In remembering their service and their sacrifice, we recognize the tradition of freedom they fought to preserve. These men and women had faith in the future and by their acts gave us the will to preserve peace for all time. On Remembrance Day, we acknowledge the courage and gallantry of those who served their country.
During times of war, individual acts of heroism occurred frequently; only a few were recorded and received official recognition. In remembering all who served, we recognize the many of willingly endured the hardships and the fear so that we could live in peace.
Whom do we Remember?
As the artillerymen swung three abreast down Main Street, traffic stopped and people watched from the sidewalks. Some stood in silence. A few wept. Some cheered a bit or called out to soldiers they knew - to an officer who had for years devoted his spare time to the militia battery, to a genial giant from the slums, to a farmboy from Taylor Village, to a man with a police record, to a teenager leaving the prettiest girl in town. (The Canadians at War 1939/1945. Volume One. Montreal, Reader's Digest, 1969. Excerpt referring to the departure of the 8th Battery from Moncton, N.B.)
When war came, Canadians volunteered readily to serve their country as champions of liberty. They came from farms, from small towns and large cities across the country, riding high on the initial wave of indignation, excitement, and patriotism. They joined Canada's war effort prepared to defend, to care for the wounded, to prepare materials of war, and to provide economic and moral support.
War has always meant death, destruction, absence from loved ones, but in the initial surge of patriotic fervour these played a secondary role. For the men and women who rallied to support their nation's cause, the threats of war seemed far away and unreal. In the fall of 1914 as the First Contingent of Canadians left the shelter of the St. Lawrence for the open Atlantic, some of the realities came into focus. Nursing Sister Constance Bruce wrote:
Those who came forward had not stopped to count the cost, for the excitement was thrilling, the lottery alluring, and the cause glorious; but now that the confusion was passed, and the fulfilment of vows alone remained to be faced, things took on a more sombre aspect .... (Constance Bruce, Humour in Tragedy: Hospital Life Behind 3 Fronts by a Canadian Nursing Sister. London, Skeffington, n.d.)
How could they know that four long years of death and destruction were ahead?
Again in 1939 when the mobilization orders came for the Second World War, Canadians flocked to enlist. The included veterans of earlier wars, boys still in high school, and thousands of unemployed. The recruits came from many regions and from varied backgrounds. Aubrey Cosens, 18 years of age, a railway section hand at Porquis Junction, Ontario was rejected by the RCAF but did get into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Robert Gray, on graduation from the University of British Columbia, joined the Navy. John Foote, a 35 year old Presbyterian minister, joined the chaplain corps. All were typical Canadians and all distinguished themselves and won the Victoria Cross.
Even as they experienced the brutality of the war, some men took time to question the forces which had brought the hostility between countries to its present state, and to ponder on the ability to return to normal. Donald Pearce wrote these words from a front line dugout:
When will it all end? The idiocy and the tension, the dying of young men, the destruction of homes, of cities, starvation, exhaustion, disease, children parentless and lost, cages full of shivering, starving prisoners, long lines of civilians plodding through mud, the endless pounding of the battle-line. (Donald Pearce, Journal of a War: North-West Europe, 1944-1945. Toronto, Macmillan, 1965.)
For those who witnessed first hand the barbaric realities of combat, the desire for reason and for peace was dominant. Yet only a few years later, in 1950, Canadians were again called to uphold the cause of peace and freedom. The men and women who served under the United Nations flag in Korea included new recruits as well as veterans from the previous war. Along with various army units, the navy and the airforce provided vital support and endured months of hardship in the hope of maintaining world peace.
For all of these conflicts fought in far-off lands, there is much to remember. Foremost are the people, the men and women who served wherever they were needed. They faced difficult situations bravely and brought honour to themselves, to their loved ones and to their country They were ordinary Canadians who made extraordinary sacrifices.
What should we Remember?
Records tell of specific campaigns and battles and of many individual acts of courage which turned the tide of war. They note the skilful strategies and the brilliant leadership. All these must be remembered. But other aspects of war much also be included in our histories. With every battle over this century, extremes of temperature, mud, mutilation, mind-numbing fatigue, fear and death were daily realities. While most of us have not experienced these hardships we can try to understand what the combatants experienced and learn from the survivors.
The First World War 1914-1918
In the First World War, the Canadians' first major battle was later seen as one of the most crucial battles in history. At Ypres, April 22, 1915, the Germans used poison gas for the first time in war. As 145 tonnes of chlorine gas drifted over the trenches, the Canadian troops held and stopped the German advance. The casualties here and at the later battle near St. Julien were enormous. In 48 hours, one of every three Canadians was killed. Some of those who survived left records of the aftermath of these fearful days.
The room was filled with dying and badly wounded men; trampled straw and dirty dressings lay about in pools of blood. The air, rank with the fumes of gas, was thick with the dust of flying plaster and broken brick, and stifling with the smoke from the burning thatch. (George Herbert Rae Gibson, Maple Leaves in Flanders Fields. Toronto, Briggs, 1916.)
As the commanders of the period persistently applied more men, more guns and more ammunition, the conflict developed into a war of attrition with opposing sides struggling to hold out longest against destruction.
In April 1917, the Canadians helped turn the tide of battle when they won a major victory at Vimy Ridge. This triumph too had its cost: more than ten thousand casualties in six days. The war continued for more than a year but finally on November 11, 1918, the Armistice was signed and the Canadians took part in the triumphant entry into Mons, in Belgium. Throughout this conflict, Canadians proved that they could pull their weight, and by their effort earned for Canada a new place among the nations of the world.more...
The Second World War 1939-1945
For almost six years, Canadians fought valiantly on battlefronts around the world. More than one million men and women enlisted in the army, the navy and the airforce. They were prepared to face any ordeal for the sake of freedom. When the war was over, more than 45,000 had given their lives. On the home front as well, Canadians were active as munitions workers, as civil defence workers, as members of voluntary service organizations and as ordinary citizens doing their bit for the war effort.
In December 1941, Canadian soldiers were participants in the unsuccessful defence of Hong Kong against the Japanese; 290 Canadians were killed and 493 wounded Those who survived the fighting were imprisoned and many did not survive the brutality they experienced while in captivity. For the majority, the daily diet was rice - a handful for each prisoner. Occasionally, a concoction of scavenged potato peelings, carrot tops, buttercups was brewed. The effect was obvious:
Sidney Skelton watched the 900-calorie-a-month diet shrink his body from 145 to 89 pounds. And whenever a group of prisoners could bribe a guard into given them a piece of bread, they used a ruler to ensure everyone got an equal share. (Ted Ferguson, Desperate Siege: The Battle of Hong Kong. Toronto, Doubleday, 1980.)
In August 1942, the attack upon Dieppe was launched. Canadians made up almost ninety per cent of the assault force. The raid was a disaster. Of a force of 4,963 Canadians, 3,367 were casualties, only 2,210 returned to England - the remainder were dead or were prisoners of war. Lucien Dumais gives the following description of the beach after the landing:
The beach was a shambles, and a lot of our men from the second wave were lying there either wounded or dead. Some of the wounded were swimming out to meet out flotilla and the sea was red with their blood. Some sank and disappeared. We stood by as they died, powerless to help; we were there to fight, not to pick up the drowning and the wounded. But the whole operation was beginning to look like a disaster. (Lucien Dumais with Hugh Popham, The Man Who Went Back. London, Futura, 1975.)
Canadians continued to play a part as the war continued. They participated in the conquest of Sicily in 1943 and in the advance up the Italian peninsula. On June 6, 1944, Canadians were in the front lines of all the Allied forces who landed on the coast of Normandy. Here, all three Canadian services shared in the assault. In Normandy, the fighting was fierce, and the losses were heavy. Of the approximately 14,000 Canadians who landed, there were 1,074 casualties of which 359 were fatal. As the Allied forces pushed their way across Europe , it was evident that the war would continue into 1945.
In May 1945, victory in Europe became a reality and V-E Day was celebrated by millions. Still ahead lay the final encounter with Japan. Then on August 6, 1945, the Americans dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, a second bomb destroyed Nagasaki. On August 14, 1945, the Japanese accepted the Allied terms of unconditional surrender and the Second World War was over.more...
*Note: There have been recent changes to the Korean alphabet. For example, Pusan now reads Busan and Kapyong reads Gapyong. In order to maintain historical relevance, the older versions of the names are used in this article.
The Korean War 1950-1953
With scarcely a rest from war, Canadian soldiers were again organized in 1950 to uphold the ideals of the United Nations Organization against aggression by North Korean forces. By 1951, they were also at war with the People's Republic of China. In Korea, the Canadians were participants at Kapyong, at Chail-li, in the advance across the Imjin River, and in the patrolling of the Chorwon Plain. When the hostilities ended in 1953 Canadians stayed as part of the peacekeeping force.
The conditions in Korea were often difficult. Variable weather, rough terrain, an elusive and skilful enemy - combined with casualties, illness and limited medical facilities - were the common elements. The winter of 1951 brought the realities into focus for the Canadians. At this time they were living twenty-four hours a day in trenches which provided some protection but little comfort. As one soldier recalled, the weather aggravated what was already a demoralizing experience:
Rain was running down my neck, my hands were numb, and I never seemed to be dry. Kneeling in the snow, or advancing in the rain, my knees and the front of my legs became wet. Then the dampness soaked right through and the skin underneath became tender and raw (John Melady, Korea: Canada's Forgotten War. Toronto, Macmillan, 1983.)
Altogether, 26,791 Canadians served in the Korean War and another 7,000 served between the ceasefire and the end of 1955. Casualties numbered 1,558 of which 516 were fatal. While Canada's contribution formed only a small part of the total United Nations effort, it was larger in proportion to her population than most of the nations which provided troops for the international force. "It also marked a new stage in Canada's development as a nation. Canadian action in Korea was followed by other peacekeeping operations which have seen Canadian troops deployed around the world in new efforts to promote international freedom and maintain word peace." (Patricia Giesler, Valour Remembered: Canadians in Korea. Ottawa. Veterans Affairs Canada 1982.)
From all of these records of wars, the observations of the individuals who took part stand out as reminders of the true nature of conflict. War has many faces but few of them are pleasant. Through knowledge of the realities, we may work more diligently to prevent them from happening again
How do we Remember?
On November 11th, in particular, and on occasion throughout the year, we have the opportunity to remember the efforts of those special Canadians. In remembering, we pay homage to those who responded to their country's need. On November 11th, we wear poppies. We pause for two minutes of silent tribute, and we attend commemorative ceremonies in memory of our war-time dead.
Poppies are worn as the flower of remembrance, a reminder of the blood-red flower which still grows on the site of battles fought in France and Belgium. Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, during the terrible bloodshed of the second battle of Ypres, in the spring of 1915, wrote of these flowers which lived on among the graves of dead soldiers.
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below. (John McCrae, In Flanders Fields and Other Poems. Edited by Sir Andrew Macphail, Toronto, Briggs, 1919.)
The flowers and the larks serve as reminders of nature's ability to withstand the destructive elements of war by men, a symbol of hope in a period of human despair. The poppy was adopted for symbolic purposes after the First World War. A French woman, Madame E. Guérin, suggested to Field-Marshall Earl Haig of the British forces that women and children in devastated ares of France could produce poppies for sale. The first British Poppy Day Appeal was in November 1921 and has been continued since in Britain and in other countries. In Canada, the poppies which we wear are made by disabled veterans. We wear them as reminders of those who died while fighting for peace. We wear them as reminders of the horrors of conflict and the beauties of peace.
The two minutes of silence provides another significant way of remembering wartime while thinking of peace. Two minutes is scarcely enough time for thought and reflection. As we pause and bow our heads, we remember those brave men and women who courageously volunteered for the cause of freedom and peace.
For those who were part of the wartime period, remembering means thinking of comrades, it evokes memories of young men and young women who never returned home. Those born after the wars may picture youthful soldiers who eagerly joined up from high schools across the country only to meet death while rushing to combat the enemy. The may imagine the anguish of a man leaving a new wife, a young family, an elderly mother. The important thing for all of us to remember is that they fought to preserve a way of life, the traditions of being Canadian, the freedom we currently enjoy. Remember that the silence is for peace.
Both in Canada and overseas, there are memorials to commemorate the service of Canadian troops. The National War Memorial in Ottawa was originally designed to recognize those who served in the First World War. It has been rededicated to symbolize the sacrifice made by Canadians in the Second World War and in Korea. The National War Memorial symbolizes the unstinting and courageous way in which Canadians gave their service when values which they believed in seemed threatened. Advancing together through a large archway are figures representing the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who answered the call to serve. At the top of the arch are two figures which stand as emblems of peace and freedom.
The Books of Remembrance which lie in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower are another record of the wars. In addition, most cities and towns across the country have dedicated a monument, a building, a room to their native sons and daughters who gave their lives. These are an enduring record of the losses suffered by communities everywhere as Canadians went forward to fight for what they believed was right.
One day every year, we pay special homage to those who died in service to their country. We remember brave men and women for their courage and for their devotion to ideals. We wear poppies, attend ceremonies, and visit memorials. For one brief moment of our life, we remember why we must work for peace every day of the year.
Thanks to all the people who served our country.
Cheers,
Aquaman
Why Remember
We must remember. If we do not, the sacrifice of those one hundred thousand Canadian lives will be meaningless. They died for us, for their homes and families and friends, for a collection of traditions they cherished and a future they believed in; they died for Canada. The meaning of their sacrifice rests with our collective national consciousness; our future is their monument. (Heather Robertson, A Terrible Beauty, The Art of Canada at War, Toronto, Lorimer, 1977.)
These wars touched the lives of Canadians of all ages, all races, all social classes. Fathers, sons, daughters, sweethearts were killed in action, were wounded, and many of those who returned were forever changed. Those who stayed in Canada also served - in factories,, in voluntary service organizations, wherever they were needed.
Yet, for many of us, war is a phenomenon viewed through the lens of a television camera or a journalist's account of battles fought in distant parts of the world. Our closest physical and emotional experience may be the discovery of wartime memorabilia in a family attic. But even items such as photographs, uniform badges, medals, diaries can seem vague and unconnected to the life of their owner. For those of us who were born during peacetime, all wars appear to be far removed from our daily activities.
As Canadians we often take for granted our current way of life, our freedom to participate in cultural and political events, and our right to live under a government of our choice. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in our constitution ensures that all Canadians enjoy protection under the law. The Canadians who went off to war in distant lands went in the belief that such rights and freedoms were being threatened. They truly believed that "Without freedom there can be no ensuring peace and without peace no enduring freedom." (King George VI at dedication of National War Memorial, Ottawa, May 21, 1939.)
In remembering their service and their sacrifice, we recognize the tradition of freedom they fought to preserve. These men and women had faith in the future and by their acts gave us the will to preserve peace for all time. On Remembrance Day, we acknowledge the courage and gallantry of those who served their country.
During times of war, individual acts of heroism occurred frequently; only a few were recorded and received official recognition. In remembering all who served, we recognize the many of willingly endured the hardships and the fear so that we could live in peace.
Whom do we Remember?
As the artillerymen swung three abreast down Main Street, traffic stopped and people watched from the sidewalks. Some stood in silence. A few wept. Some cheered a bit or called out to soldiers they knew - to an officer who had for years devoted his spare time to the militia battery, to a genial giant from the slums, to a farmboy from Taylor Village, to a man with a police record, to a teenager leaving the prettiest girl in town. (The Canadians at War 1939/1945. Volume One. Montreal, Reader's Digest, 1969. Excerpt referring to the departure of the 8th Battery from Moncton, N.B.)
When war came, Canadians volunteered readily to serve their country as champions of liberty. They came from farms, from small towns and large cities across the country, riding high on the initial wave of indignation, excitement, and patriotism. They joined Canada's war effort prepared to defend, to care for the wounded, to prepare materials of war, and to provide economic and moral support.
War has always meant death, destruction, absence from loved ones, but in the initial surge of patriotic fervour these played a secondary role. For the men and women who rallied to support their nation's cause, the threats of war seemed far away and unreal. In the fall of 1914 as the First Contingent of Canadians left the shelter of the St. Lawrence for the open Atlantic, some of the realities came into focus. Nursing Sister Constance Bruce wrote:
Those who came forward had not stopped to count the cost, for the excitement was thrilling, the lottery alluring, and the cause glorious; but now that the confusion was passed, and the fulfilment of vows alone remained to be faced, things took on a more sombre aspect .... (Constance Bruce, Humour in Tragedy: Hospital Life Behind 3 Fronts by a Canadian Nursing Sister. London, Skeffington, n.d.)
How could they know that four long years of death and destruction were ahead?
Again in 1939 when the mobilization orders came for the Second World War, Canadians flocked to enlist. The included veterans of earlier wars, boys still in high school, and thousands of unemployed. The recruits came from many regions and from varied backgrounds. Aubrey Cosens, 18 years of age, a railway section hand at Porquis Junction, Ontario was rejected by the RCAF but did get into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Robert Gray, on graduation from the University of British Columbia, joined the Navy. John Foote, a 35 year old Presbyterian minister, joined the chaplain corps. All were typical Canadians and all distinguished themselves and won the Victoria Cross.
Even as they experienced the brutality of the war, some men took time to question the forces which had brought the hostility between countries to its present state, and to ponder on the ability to return to normal. Donald Pearce wrote these words from a front line dugout:
When will it all end? The idiocy and the tension, the dying of young men, the destruction of homes, of cities, starvation, exhaustion, disease, children parentless and lost, cages full of shivering, starving prisoners, long lines of civilians plodding through mud, the endless pounding of the battle-line. (Donald Pearce, Journal of a War: North-West Europe, 1944-1945. Toronto, Macmillan, 1965.)
For those who witnessed first hand the barbaric realities of combat, the desire for reason and for peace was dominant. Yet only a few years later, in 1950, Canadians were again called to uphold the cause of peace and freedom. The men and women who served under the United Nations flag in Korea included new recruits as well as veterans from the previous war. Along with various army units, the navy and the airforce provided vital support and endured months of hardship in the hope of maintaining world peace.
For all of these conflicts fought in far-off lands, there is much to remember. Foremost are the people, the men and women who served wherever they were needed. They faced difficult situations bravely and brought honour to themselves, to their loved ones and to their country They were ordinary Canadians who made extraordinary sacrifices.
What should we Remember?
Records tell of specific campaigns and battles and of many individual acts of courage which turned the tide of war. They note the skilful strategies and the brilliant leadership. All these must be remembered. But other aspects of war much also be included in our histories. With every battle over this century, extremes of temperature, mud, mutilation, mind-numbing fatigue, fear and death were daily realities. While most of us have not experienced these hardships we can try to understand what the combatants experienced and learn from the survivors.
The First World War 1914-1918
In the First World War, the Canadians' first major battle was later seen as one of the most crucial battles in history. At Ypres, April 22, 1915, the Germans used poison gas for the first time in war. As 145 tonnes of chlorine gas drifted over the trenches, the Canadian troops held and stopped the German advance. The casualties here and at the later battle near St. Julien were enormous. In 48 hours, one of every three Canadians was killed. Some of those who survived left records of the aftermath of these fearful days.
The room was filled with dying and badly wounded men; trampled straw and dirty dressings lay about in pools of blood. The air, rank with the fumes of gas, was thick with the dust of flying plaster and broken brick, and stifling with the smoke from the burning thatch. (George Herbert Rae Gibson, Maple Leaves in Flanders Fields. Toronto, Briggs, 1916.)
As the commanders of the period persistently applied more men, more guns and more ammunition, the conflict developed into a war of attrition with opposing sides struggling to hold out longest against destruction.
In April 1917, the Canadians helped turn the tide of battle when they won a major victory at Vimy Ridge. This triumph too had its cost: more than ten thousand casualties in six days. The war continued for more than a year but finally on November 11, 1918, the Armistice was signed and the Canadians took part in the triumphant entry into Mons, in Belgium. Throughout this conflict, Canadians proved that they could pull their weight, and by their effort earned for Canada a new place among the nations of the world.more...
The Second World War 1939-1945
For almost six years, Canadians fought valiantly on battlefronts around the world. More than one million men and women enlisted in the army, the navy and the airforce. They were prepared to face any ordeal for the sake of freedom. When the war was over, more than 45,000 had given their lives. On the home front as well, Canadians were active as munitions workers, as civil defence workers, as members of voluntary service organizations and as ordinary citizens doing their bit for the war effort.
In December 1941, Canadian soldiers were participants in the unsuccessful defence of Hong Kong against the Japanese; 290 Canadians were killed and 493 wounded Those who survived the fighting were imprisoned and many did not survive the brutality they experienced while in captivity. For the majority, the daily diet was rice - a handful for each prisoner. Occasionally, a concoction of scavenged potato peelings, carrot tops, buttercups was brewed. The effect was obvious:
Sidney Skelton watched the 900-calorie-a-month diet shrink his body from 145 to 89 pounds. And whenever a group of prisoners could bribe a guard into given them a piece of bread, they used a ruler to ensure everyone got an equal share. (Ted Ferguson, Desperate Siege: The Battle of Hong Kong. Toronto, Doubleday, 1980.)
In August 1942, the attack upon Dieppe was launched. Canadians made up almost ninety per cent of the assault force. The raid was a disaster. Of a force of 4,963 Canadians, 3,367 were casualties, only 2,210 returned to England - the remainder were dead or were prisoners of war. Lucien Dumais gives the following description of the beach after the landing:
The beach was a shambles, and a lot of our men from the second wave were lying there either wounded or dead. Some of the wounded were swimming out to meet out flotilla and the sea was red with their blood. Some sank and disappeared. We stood by as they died, powerless to help; we were there to fight, not to pick up the drowning and the wounded. But the whole operation was beginning to look like a disaster. (Lucien Dumais with Hugh Popham, The Man Who Went Back. London, Futura, 1975.)
Canadians continued to play a part as the war continued. They participated in the conquest of Sicily in 1943 and in the advance up the Italian peninsula. On June 6, 1944, Canadians were in the front lines of all the Allied forces who landed on the coast of Normandy. Here, all three Canadian services shared in the assault. In Normandy, the fighting was fierce, and the losses were heavy. Of the approximately 14,000 Canadians who landed, there were 1,074 casualties of which 359 were fatal. As the Allied forces pushed their way across Europe , it was evident that the war would continue into 1945.
In May 1945, victory in Europe became a reality and V-E Day was celebrated by millions. Still ahead lay the final encounter with Japan. Then on August 6, 1945, the Americans dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, a second bomb destroyed Nagasaki. On August 14, 1945, the Japanese accepted the Allied terms of unconditional surrender and the Second World War was over.more...
*Note: There have been recent changes to the Korean alphabet. For example, Pusan now reads Busan and Kapyong reads Gapyong. In order to maintain historical relevance, the older versions of the names are used in this article.
The Korean War 1950-1953
With scarcely a rest from war, Canadian soldiers were again organized in 1950 to uphold the ideals of the United Nations Organization against aggression by North Korean forces. By 1951, they were also at war with the People's Republic of China. In Korea, the Canadians were participants at Kapyong, at Chail-li, in the advance across the Imjin River, and in the patrolling of the Chorwon Plain. When the hostilities ended in 1953 Canadians stayed as part of the peacekeeping force.
The conditions in Korea were often difficult. Variable weather, rough terrain, an elusive and skilful enemy - combined with casualties, illness and limited medical facilities - were the common elements. The winter of 1951 brought the realities into focus for the Canadians. At this time they were living twenty-four hours a day in trenches which provided some protection but little comfort. As one soldier recalled, the weather aggravated what was already a demoralizing experience:
Rain was running down my neck, my hands were numb, and I never seemed to be dry. Kneeling in the snow, or advancing in the rain, my knees and the front of my legs became wet. Then the dampness soaked right through and the skin underneath became tender and raw (John Melady, Korea: Canada's Forgotten War. Toronto, Macmillan, 1983.)
Altogether, 26,791 Canadians served in the Korean War and another 7,000 served between the ceasefire and the end of 1955. Casualties numbered 1,558 of which 516 were fatal. While Canada's contribution formed only a small part of the total United Nations effort, it was larger in proportion to her population than most of the nations which provided troops for the international force. "It also marked a new stage in Canada's development as a nation. Canadian action in Korea was followed by other peacekeeping operations which have seen Canadian troops deployed around the world in new efforts to promote international freedom and maintain word peace." (Patricia Giesler, Valour Remembered: Canadians in Korea. Ottawa. Veterans Affairs Canada 1982.)
From all of these records of wars, the observations of the individuals who took part stand out as reminders of the true nature of conflict. War has many faces but few of them are pleasant. Through knowledge of the realities, we may work more diligently to prevent them from happening again
How do we Remember?
On November 11th, in particular, and on occasion throughout the year, we have the opportunity to remember the efforts of those special Canadians. In remembering, we pay homage to those who responded to their country's need. On November 11th, we wear poppies. We pause for two minutes of silent tribute, and we attend commemorative ceremonies in memory of our war-time dead.
Poppies are worn as the flower of remembrance, a reminder of the blood-red flower which still grows on the site of battles fought in France and Belgium. Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, during the terrible bloodshed of the second battle of Ypres, in the spring of 1915, wrote of these flowers which lived on among the graves of dead soldiers.
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below. (John McCrae, In Flanders Fields and Other Poems. Edited by Sir Andrew Macphail, Toronto, Briggs, 1919.)
The flowers and the larks serve as reminders of nature's ability to withstand the destructive elements of war by men, a symbol of hope in a period of human despair. The poppy was adopted for symbolic purposes after the First World War. A French woman, Madame E. Guérin, suggested to Field-Marshall Earl Haig of the British forces that women and children in devastated ares of France could produce poppies for sale. The first British Poppy Day Appeal was in November 1921 and has been continued since in Britain and in other countries. In Canada, the poppies which we wear are made by disabled veterans. We wear them as reminders of those who died while fighting for peace. We wear them as reminders of the horrors of conflict and the beauties of peace.
The two minutes of silence provides another significant way of remembering wartime while thinking of peace. Two minutes is scarcely enough time for thought and reflection. As we pause and bow our heads, we remember those brave men and women who courageously volunteered for the cause of freedom and peace.
For those who were part of the wartime period, remembering means thinking of comrades, it evokes memories of young men and young women who never returned home. Those born after the wars may picture youthful soldiers who eagerly joined up from high schools across the country only to meet death while rushing to combat the enemy. The may imagine the anguish of a man leaving a new wife, a young family, an elderly mother. The important thing for all of us to remember is that they fought to preserve a way of life, the traditions of being Canadian, the freedom we currently enjoy. Remember that the silence is for peace.
Both in Canada and overseas, there are memorials to commemorate the service of Canadian troops. The National War Memorial in Ottawa was originally designed to recognize those who served in the First World War. It has been rededicated to symbolize the sacrifice made by Canadians in the Second World War and in Korea. The National War Memorial symbolizes the unstinting and courageous way in which Canadians gave their service when values which they believed in seemed threatened. Advancing together through a large archway are figures representing the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who answered the call to serve. At the top of the arch are two figures which stand as emblems of peace and freedom.
The Books of Remembrance which lie in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower are another record of the wars. In addition, most cities and towns across the country have dedicated a monument, a building, a room to their native sons and daughters who gave their lives. These are an enduring record of the losses suffered by communities everywhere as Canadians went forward to fight for what they believed was right.
One day every year, we pay special homage to those who died in service to their country. We remember brave men and women for their courage and for their devotion to ideals. We wear poppies, attend ceremonies, and visit memorials. For one brief moment of our life, we remember why we must work for peace every day of the year.
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