My impression of Canadian veterans is and always will be awesome. Most of these guys would do it all over again if our country called. We marched with canes, wheel chairs, bad backs, sore legs; the halt and the lame along with those still fit and healthy. Yet we all had one thing in common when the drummer struck his first rat-a-tat: smiles on our faces and hearts filled with enthusiasm and pride, the same qualities that carried us into battle on the desolate hills of Korea so many years ago. Our gait and cadence may have been a little slower, but inside we were once again, marching soldiers.

Personally, I felt like an adventurous young boy as we stepped lively to the stirring Lorne Scots Pipes and Drums. Our chests stuck out, shoulders back, guts tucked in (it's a good thing some wore suspenders or there may have been a different kind of show) while we marched off to the ceremony.

As we marched closer, I believed I could hear the songs and cadences we had sung while marching years before, the click of heavy cleated boots on the pavement, and the always present mumbling in the ranks. But most of all I envisioned once again hundreds of young Canadians in full marching order, in unity, and each one willing to put their lives on the line to make our country and this world a better place to live.

Nearing the covered memorial wall, I looked around the crowd to see if I could glimpse the faces of my wife and four of our five children and their spouses. Perhaps some of the other guys felt the same way I did at that moment because most of us had tears running down our faces by now. My thoughts at that moment were, "How thankful I am to be alive and having experienced the privilege of having a family, watching our children and grandchildren grow, living in a country as great and free as Canada." What a blessing it was to be able to say, "Thank you guys, for helping make my dreams come true. I pray you now know how much you are appreciated. "

To the sound of the pipers and the cheering of families and guests, our columns moved closer. The quietness in the ranks was overwhelming. Every veteran and guest with their own individual thoughts and feelings.

Faces of fallen comrades and friends swirled into view. Their voices echoed quietly across the wall. The sounds of mind-penetrating artillery shells and the sharp crack of rifles permeated the atmosphere. Which branch of the service you had been in, or what rank you carried, meant very little during these moments. We were all equals with tears shining in every eye.

When Rev. T. M. C. Marsaw, C.D., gave his inspiring and moving address, concluding with our recitation of the 23rd Psalm, I was truly lifted in my spirit. A peace came over me that is very difficult to explain. I believe I was reassured that, "Yes, Jack, all whose names appear on this wall are safe and in my care." "Thank you, Lord," I whispered, as I reread the closing sentence of that Psalm from my program, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Standing within a few feet of the "Wall" after the unveiling are moments that are etched in my mind and heart forever. As we stepped slowly closer and the name plates became readable, I could now put faces and voices to the ones I knew and had served with. While each of us placed a poppy on a name plate, I eagerly scanned the Wall until my eyes focused on the name of G. L. "Patty" Paterson. Patty was killed in action on October 2, 1951, during a devastating artillery barrage and Chinese attack. I can remember like it was yesterday the four of us carrying him out. The terrain was rugged and it was so dark that we had to feel our way across the hill one stumbling step at a time. Now, when I bent over to pin my poppy on his name-plate, I immediately sensed his spirit had come home. It was a phenomenal experience that left me totally drained.

A soldiers experiences in war
Never ends in victory or defeat
They continue deep inside them
Until some day their God they meet.

Jack is well known as a poet and writer. His poem, The Korea Veterans Wall is engraved in granite at the centre section of the Korea Veterans National Wall of Remembrance.

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