April 30, 2010

FLASH!

At last, Canada will have a
Korea War Veterans Day!

Terry Wickens, national president of the Korean War Veterans Association of Canada has just returned to his home from Ottawa.

On Thursday in the Canadian Senate, South Korean-born Senator Yonah Martin of East Vancouver placed a Resolution for approval that calls on Canada to enact legislation to officially identify July 27 as Korea War Veterans Day. Senator Martin’s motion received full approval of the Senate. Terry reports that she read the motion in tears, recounting how volunteers from Canada came to the Republic of Korea in the war years and helped to liberate the fledgling country from invading forces. Details are sketchy but the news will be out soon. Senator Martin was born in Korea and immigrated to Canada with her parents. She was educated in British Columbia and taught in high schools there for many years before being appointed to the Canadian Senate in 2009.

This is delightful news to Terry and to all of Canada’s Korean War Veterans and their families – probably around 8,000 now surviving out of the 27,000 who served in the war, according to Terry’s estimates.
The first Korean War Veterans Day will be celebrated by members of the Korea Veterans Association of Canada at the Korea War Veterans Wall of Remembrance in the Toronto suburb of Brampton on July 27.
Terry has been working with the Consul General in Toronto to arrange a special service and follow-on banquet for upwards of 300. More details will be forthcoming.
While it will mark the 57th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Military Armistice Agreement that ended the war, the first Korea War Veterans Day falls in the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Year that is being observed by the Korean Government.
Terry is anticipating that Veterans from across the country may travel to Toronto to take part in this watershed event during this Commemoration Year. Details of available hotel accommodations will come later.

The Korea War Veterans Wall of Remembrance in the Toronto suburb of Brampton will be the site of the first ever Korea War Veterans Memorial Day to be officially observed by officers and members of the Korea Veterans Association of Canada. The Wall bears grave marker plaques with the service particulars of 516 Canadians who lost their lives during the Korean War and on post armistice service in Korea.

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Above article provided courtesy of the Korean War Veteran, koreavetnews@aol.com