The Minister of Veterans Affairs declares 2003  the year “Canada Remembers the Korean War”

 by Pete Remdenok

War is a horrible act. During the Korean War, 26,000 Canadians served and 516 of our brave young men paid the supreme sacrifice. A monument was finally erected and dedicated in the Pusan International Cemetery, after almost 50 years. The Monument is a symbol of peace. It was conceived and made possible by three or four years of uncompensated work by Windsor’s Vince Courtenay, who has been awarded the Governor Generals “Meritorious Service Medal.”

It depicts a Canadian serviceman with no weapon or headdress. The children represent the successive generations who have been free to realize and build their national strength.The bouquets of Canadian Maple Leaves and Korea’s National Flower, the Rose of Sharon, depict the closeness of the two Nations. There are 21 maple leaves representing the 16 Canadians with no known grave and the five sailors lost at sea. The names of all 516 are listed on the base of the monument. An Echo Copy of the Monument was sculpted and erected in our Nations’ Capitol. It was dedicated this past September 28th. The Prime Minister and several other Members of Parliament honoured their memory and all those who served.  When I look at this monument I think of the last 50 wonderful years I have had, which these young men missed out on.

The Korean War produced over two million casualties on both sides. It is bad enough for soldiers trained for war, but the civilians on both sides were affected greatly. Millions were left homeless and most lost at least some members of their family. There were hundreds of thousands who were orphaned. Many of them on the streets alone, trying to survive. Everyone who was there became a casualty to varying degrees. You could not endure the endless shelling, the destruction and the atrocities committed during war without being affected. It is impossible to erase those memories. They keep coming back like a bad nightmare. Many come back home and have difficulties adjusting to a normal life. Post Traumatic Stress, which was not recognized back then, took its toll on many. When I look at the way things are in Korea today, I feel our being there was not in vain. In the North, thousands of young children died this past year, mostly of starvation or tuberculosis. They have slave labour and little hope of ever being able to visit relatives in other countries. By contrast, South Korea is a very modern country with a good economy and opportunities for everyone. The price of freedom is high.