The Korean War Veteran

Transcription

1 Page 1 of 10 HooJung Jones From: Date: Subject: <Koreavetnews@aol.com> July :51 PM NAVY VETERANS BACK THE CANADIAN VETERANS KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL PAINTING The Korean War Veteran Internet Journal July 7, 2012 This page has been developed and is maintained by Jerry Proc and is dedicated to These photos are from the HMCS Cayuga and HMCS Huron websites, both developed and maintained by Jerry Proc. The colour photo of HMCS Cayuga above was submitted for the website by Cayuga veteran Don Bjorndahl. The photo below of HMCS Huron was submitted by Darren Scannell. to Don for making available most of the photos and other

2 Page 2 of 10 Navy Veterans backthe Canadian Veterans Memorial Painting Thevolunteers workingonthecanadianveterans CommemorativePaintingProject would liketoacknowledgesupportreceived from ships companies and veterans ofthe Royal CanadianNavy. Todate,theHMCSCayuga Associationand thehmcshuronassociationhavemade contributions tothepaintingfund. LCmmdr(Ret d)bill Black,presidentofHMCSHuronAssociation,madeboth contributions onbehalfofhis shipmates. Bill alsois presidentoftheveryactivenational Capital Unit7oftheKorea Veterans AssociationofCanada. Bill submited thefollowingreportas a follow-uptothedonations. In April this year at the United Nations Memorial Cenetery in Busan at the new memorial for our sailors lost at sea, I had two sailors from Cayuga with me who sailed to Korea in July They both laid the wreath for their shipmate AB Vince Liska (our first RCN casualty) who was lost overboard in December 1950 off Inchon whilst alongside HMAS Bataan. Also Cayuga was there earlier during the General MacArthur Inchon landings in September, The RCN was not in an offensive role for that operation, but as escorts for supply and troop carriers. Inchon was a success because of the effort of 265 ships and their crews, the men of the 5th Marine Division and the 10th Corps, plus the strength of carrier and land-based aircraft and I would say successful even in a small way because of our

3 Page 3 of 10 Canadian Navy. Our RCN officers and ratings were awarded many honours for their valour during the war. And it, too, was a 'forgotten war' when all too often they returned unnoticed as they slipped silently alongside the jetty returning from their tours in the Far East. The Canadian Army did not directly engage the North Korean Army - only the Chinese. However, our RCN certainly did engage the North Koreans and the Chinese enemies on both coasts of the Korean peninsula. Again, at one point Commander Brock even sailed Cayuga into the Yalu River and reported a Chinese military build-up before the Chinese army actually entered the war. Apparently for whatever reason these reported observations were ignored. Let us never forget the contributions of the sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy! Extracted from the Monument to Canadian Fallen BookofThanks, Korea 2002 Early in July, 1950, Canada responded to the United Nations call with both naval and air force elements. Three Royal Canadian Navy destroyers were deployed to Korean waters to join the United States fleet. These three ships, HMCS Athabaskan, HMCS Cayuga and HMCS Sioux were quickly in action. In addition to shore shelling missions, the evacuation and landing of South Korean guerilla forces and fleet screening, the Canadian ships supported the amphibious landings at Incheon on September 15th. Later, in early December, after the Peoples Republic of China had entered the war and were forcing the withdrawal of United Nations forces from North Korea, the Canadian ships played a decisive role in evacuating the port of Chinnampo, which serves the North Korean Capital of Pyongyang. The Canadian Destroyer Division, under command of Captain J.V Brock of HMCS Cayuga, formed the nucleus of a six-ship destroyer task force that also included two Australian and one American destroyer. Those ships were HMAS Bataan, HMAS Warramunga and USNS Forrest Royal.

4 Page 4 of 10 Petty Officer Robert Stewart raises United Nations Ensign on HMCS Cayuga, flagship of Captain Brock, in 1950 photograph. From his flagship Captain Brock led the Task Force up the perilous mined and shallow approaches to the Taedong River, then up the river to the port. The task force arrived with just four of the original six destroyers on the morning of December 5th. HMCS Sioux and HMAS Warramunga had run aground and were temporarily stranded. Captain Brock deployed his four ships to cover military targets ashore. The ships provided secure cover for a fleet of military and civilian transport vessels, enabling them to safely load military personnel, equipment and civilian refugees. When the transport fleet weighed anchor on the evening of December 6th, Captain Brock directed his Task Force to open fire with its heavy guns. The ships fired some 800 heavy shells in less than one hour. They completely destroyed the North Korean port, leaving nothing of value for the closely pursuing Chinese forces.

5 Page 5 of 10 The destroyers of the Royal Canadian Navy continued to play a significant role throughout the course of the three-year long war. In all, eight Canadian destroyers saw service in Korea. In addition to the three ships cited, Canada deployed HMCS Crusader, HMCS Haida, HMCS Huron, HMCS Iroquois and HMCS Nootka. HMCS Cayuga fires her 5-inch gun on enemy shore installations. The last Canadian destroyer to complete its duties in Korea was HMCS Sioux, which

6 Page 6of 10 sailed for Canada on September 7th, 1955, more than two years after the armistice had been signed. Lieutenant Eric Jones aboard HMCS Crusader maintains contact with United Nations air patrol while Crusader prepares to fire on train targeted ashore.

7 Page 7of 10 The rest of the proud Canadian destroyer fleet HMCS Athabaskan HMCS Crusader

8 Page 8 of 10 HMCS Haida HMCS Iroquois HMCS Nootka

9 Page 9 of 10 HMCS Sioux

10 Page 10 of 10 The Canadian Veterans Commemorative Painting Fund is providing the artist s commission and other charges involved in placing a heroic size 1.5 by 2.4 metre oil painting in the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul. Millions of visitors will view it and will always know that Canadians helped to save their fledgling nation during the Korean War. The painting is now in progress by noted Canadian landscapist and war artist Theodore Fenwick Zuber, who also served in Korea in the Canadian Army during the war. Ted Zuber was wounded in Korea. Later in his career he was engaged as a captain and official Canadian War artist and accompanied Canadian troops, ships and aircraft to the Persian Gulf during the Gulf War. Funds are still needed to support this honourable undertaking. Anyone wishing to offer a donation of any amount may send it payable to Veterans Painting Fund 108 Islandview Drive Amherstview, ON K7N 0A6 Senator Yonah Martin Honorary Patron Terry Wickens Project Chairman Vince Courtenay Consultant, coordinator