Veterans of the Korean War were honoured in an afternoon ceremony held at the Innisfail Legion May 16.
Veterans of the Korean War were honoured in an afternoon ceremony held at the Innisfail Legion May 16.
Mayor Jim Romane, Red Deer MP Earl Dreeshen and Wild Rose constituency MP Blake Richards were on hand to show appreciation for the actions of local servicemen in advance of July 27, the 60th anniversary of the war’s end.
Doug Whorrall, provincial information officer for the Korean Veterans Association, said Canada plans to mark the day as Korean Veterans Day forever.
"It’s our 60th year," he said. "There’s only 10,000 of us left."
Whorrall says he appreciates the special recognition given to veterans of the Asian conflict.
"It’s quite an honour," he said. "This here is unique to the Korean veterans."
Gilbert Allen, Smiley Douglas, Nelson Morrison, Bill Robson, Maurice St. Onge, Herman Thorsen and Douglas Whorrall were on hand to accept their certificates. Jean Ford accepted the honour on behalf of Gordon Ford, while Marjorie Fraser accepted on behalf of Alex Fraser.
The Korean War occurred from June 1950 to July 1953, killing 516 Canadians.
Ford embraced MP Earl Dreeshen emotionally upon receiving of the certificate for her husband, who served in the navy in Korea and died five years ago.
"It meant a great deal to me," she said of the honour, noting it provided a sense of acceptance. "The Korean War has mostly been forgotten."
Richards, a Conservative MP, said he often thinks of the contribution made by veterans while sitting in the House of Commons.
"We live in a free and great country like Canada because of the sacrifices they have made," he said. "This is just a small appreciation and recognition of our gratitude."
These sorts of events are important, said St. Onge, particularly at a time when tensions between North and South Korea are bubbling up again.
"Most people still don’t know about the war in Korea," he said. "It’s a very good honour. It’s a recognition of what we did."
St. Onge served in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals sending and receiving Morse code.
Dreeshen remembers visiting Douglas while growing up. The former infantryman wears a hook after his hand was blown off by a grenade while in Korea.
"It blew up right in my hand," he said. "A grenade tells its own story."
