The Start of the Korean War

Today is the anniversary of the start of the Korean war.

Backed by the USSR and China the North overpower the south and had moved as far as Soeul and beyond by the time the Americans and Commonwealth countries got involved. Canada sent over 26,000 troups and 1,557 of them were killed.

For some reason, in Canada no one really talks much about the Korean War and what ever lessons might have been learned there.

The only reason I remember, I am sure, is that around that time my father was a Sergeant in the army and was a tank mechanic. I was about seven when he shipped out.

I don't remember much about it to be honest except that;

• we shipped over left over large Christmas candles. They used them to provide light in the shelters they dug into the side of the hills.
• He was in charge of a tank with a crane in the back but no gun on the front
• The tank was called the Contented Cow
• He brought us back really neat silk jackets from Japan and,
• He was a minor celebrity in our small town for a while.

So, making no attempt to glorify our role in Korea, we should at the very least remember it.