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Dedicated to the sacrifice and indomitable spirit of Veterans
of the Korean War Painting “A Nation Reborn” by Canadian Artist Ted Zuber Veteran of The Royal Canadian Regiment October 13, 2007
The wonderful boys
from Third Royal Canadian Legion to be chartered in Canada joins global commemoration for Korean War Fallen from all nations
The John Bernard Croak VC Branch 3, Royal Canadian Legion in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia was the first Legion Branch chartered in the Province of Nova Scotia and the third in all of Canada. It is named after 26-year old Private John Croak who was awarded the Victoria Cross in World War One. Private Croak was born in Newfoundland but moved to Glace Bay when he was two years old. He grew up there, attended the local schools and worked as a coal miner before going off to war with the 13th Battalion, The Royal Highland Regiment of Canada. Today the 2nd Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (Cape Breton) is headquartered in Sydney on Cape Breton Island. The unit formerly was designated The Cape Breton Highlanders.
When I was a young man and enlisted to serve in Korea one of the first things I did was adopt the accent of my Canadian Army comrades. I thought at first it was Irish. I learned it was the way the boys talked who “came from the Bay,” from the Glace Bay area of Cape Breton Island. The third thing was to try to be as good as them. So in short order my vocabulary became one where I called other soldiers, “Aye lad,” and used the colour and inflections of my many new friends that as Veterans we now call comrades. My
how they served, those lads from the East – we called the But it seemed that every infantry platoon or tank troop or artillery team or ship’s crew had someone from the Bay, boy, and whoever that was he was pleasantly colourful and uplifting for the rest of the Canadians who served with him. Many had been terrible poor, boy. Many had teet’ missin’ an a lot had false choppers. But they all had guts and steel of muscle and of spirit and most had deep faith, too; reverence for their Lord and great hope for the ultimate good of man – despite their own hard lot. Many
of them are still with us. Most went back to their homes, such as But more went home where the towns were poor and where work was in steady decline, and they prevailed and they put their iron and their will back into the communities that had raised them. And good they did for the towns might have suffered the more without them. So now on this Remembrance Day, November 11, 2007, the Veterans of Glace Bay will gather once more as Veterans have gathered there for the best part of the past century. They
will gather with the members of the John Bernard Croak VC Branch 3
of the Royal Canadian Legion – the third Legion branch chartered in
all of This year, as their Legion Branch president tells it, there will be a new feature in the traditional observance. John
MacNeil, a Korean War Veteran who fought in “We will form up at 0950 and march off at 1000 Hours, the salute being taken by our oldest Veteran in front of the Monument at the Legion Branch. “From there the parade will march to the Savoy Theatre where the Remembrance Service takes place on the stage. “Clergy from all faiths, dignitaries, guest speaker, the Colour Party and a Cenotaph Guard of four Reservists will move onto the stage where there is a Cenotaph set up. “Everyone will join in singing “O Canada,” followed by an opening prayer. “At 1100 the Last Post will be played, followed by the Lament and the traditional Wave of Silence. “I will then make a request to everyone and there will be a second one minute wave of silence. “I will ask them all to look to the left front of our stage to commemorate and acknowledge a special program taking place at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan, Korea the same day; a program to honour the memory of 516 young Canadians who sacrificed their lives during the Korean War. “The second silence will be followed by the Ritual Prayer and by Reveille.
“There will be a benediction then a large wreath will be laid on the
Cenotaph that is on the stage. It will be in memory of “The wreath laying will be followed by a closing prayer. The service in the theatre closes with the singing of the Royal Anthem. “There will be 900 people seated in the theatre and we will ask them all to accompany us to the Cenotaph outside the Royal Canadian Legion Branch. “At
that Cenotaph I will lay a wreath in memory of the 516 Canadians who
gave their lives in John
says that there are 12 Korean War Veterans at his Branch 3 but the
rate of deaths among them and the World War Two Veterans is high.
During the war 12 soldiers from Cape Breton Island lost their lives
in
The Savoy Theatre in
Cape Breton Islanders
who lost their lives in the Korean War and today are buried in the
United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan,
Pte Michael P. Chiasson Pte James J. Christoff 3rd Battalion 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment The Royal Canadian Regiment Killed in action May 3, 1953 Killed in action May 3, 1953 Hill 187 Hill 187
Pte William Dawson Pte Angus MacInnis 1st Battalion 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment The Royal Canadian Regiment Killed in action October 23, 1952 Killed in action October 23, 1952
Hill 355 “Little
Gibraltar” Hill 355 “Little
Pte Stephen MacPhee Pte Charles J. Morrison, MID 2nd Battalion 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment The Royal Canadian Regimemt Killed in action March 24, 1952 Killed in action October 23, 1952
Hill 355 “Little
Pte Edward J. Power 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Killed in action December 24, 1952 The Hook
Also called himself "Joe Dowey"
The following soldiers from Pte Everett C. Buchanan Pte Michael A. Dunphy 2nd Battalion 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Light Infantry Killed in action June 30, 1951 Killed in action July 11, 1951 Lt Joseph Y. Levison Pte Earl MacAskill 2nd Battalion 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Light Infantry Killed in action May 26, 1951 Killed in action April 3, 1951 Pte William E. Morrison Royal Canadian Army Service Corps Killed in action April 24, 1953 To open a link to any of the organizations below left click on the insignia. The website will open automatically.
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