Canada Remembers Times 2024
Veterans' Week Special Edition

5-11 November 2024 - Page 4

1950-1953 - Veteran pride in Korea

The Korean War raged in East Asia from 1950 to 1953. More than 26,000 Canadians served on land, at sea and in the air during this bitter conflict.

Noel Knockwood was a member of Nova Scotia’s Mi’kmaq community. He attended the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School as a child. In 1951, he joined the Royal Canadian Artillery and shipped out for Korea at the young age of 18. Noel spent more than a year overseas and saw heavy action on the front lines. He fondly remembered the comradery that grew between the Canadian artillery and infantry soldiers.

“When we used to meet up with the infantry boys and go back on leave... [they accepted] us as real brothers and they often told us that, ‘If it weren’t for the artillery, we wouldn’t be here today. Thank you!’... That made us feel very proud.”

Click here to hear more personal reflections from Canadian Korean War Veterans!

1960-1964 - Standing up for peace in the Congo

One of the first largescale United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions was to the Congo. Hundreds of Canadians served in the troubled African country in the early 1960s.

Serving in the Congo was very challenging for our peacekeepers. The country had suffered greatly during its 75-year colonial period. It finally gained its independence from Belgium in 1960, but the society was torn apart. Political in-fighting, inter-tribal tensions, famine, an army mutiny and international interference led to widespread violence.

Canada’s peacekeepers performed important communications and logistical duties in the Congo. Ron Knapton of Ontario was there and remembered the stress of being in a place so different from home.

“You hear rustling in the grass, you don’t know what it is. And… the hair on the back of your neck starts to stand up because you’re not sure what’s in there…”

In the end, UN peacekeepers were unable to stop the greater forces of upheaval rocking the Congo. They left in 1964. Sadly, two Canadian soldiers lost their lives there. The political situation in the country has remained volatile. A small Canadian Armed Forces contingent has also served in the Congo in more recent years.

1990-1991 - A Canadian woman in the Gulf War

The Gulf War began when Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990. An alliance of countries quickly decided to intervene. Canada was part of that international coalition.

The Canadian Armed Forces called its efforts to support international action against Iraq Operation Friction. In the months that followed, they sent more than 4,000 sailors, aviators and soldiers to the Middle East. Bettina Fuchs, a military driver, was one of them. There was a catch, though. In Saudi Arabia, the local authorities did not allow women to drive.

“We ended up not being able to do our jobs for the first week we were there, until the governments talked and decided that we weren’t women—we were soldiers.”

Bettina’s team was soon busy carrying out important duties like delivering water and supplies.

The Gulf War was short but intense. The fighting came to an end on February 28, 1991. It was one of the first times that an armed conflict was covered live 24/7 by the international media. The world witnessed almost in real-time the air strikes, ground campaign and burning oil rigs. Many Canadians like Bettina stepped up to help a country in need and Kuwait was liberated.

High achiever

Kenneth “Ken” Rock was born in Windsor, Ontario. He excelled at sports as a young man and even won his province’s high school 120-yard hurdle championship. In January 1943, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force at the height of the Second World War.

Ken trained as a pilot. He finished near the top of his class when he earned his wings in June 1944. He became one of the few Black Canadian air force officers to serve during the war. Pilot Officer Rock served at air bases in Canada where he helped train other airmen. Being an instructor was a testament to his character and skill in the cockpit.

Ken also continued his athletic pursuits while in uniform by competing in track and field events and football. When he left the military, he studied at the University of Toronto and became a doctor. Dr. Rock set up a medical practice in his hometown and was an important member of the community in the decades that followed.

A decorated Indigenous warrior

Joseph Roussin was born in 1887 in Oka, Quebec, west of Montreal. The Mohawk man was a lumberjack before joining the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1915 at the age of 28.

Joseph sailed overseas in April 1916. He saw heavy action on the Western Front with the French-Canadian 22nd Battalion. Private Roussin never shied away from combat. In August 1917, he earned the Military Medal for his bravery during the Battle of Hill 70. During the attack, he single-handedly neutralized eight enemy soldiers. Joseph was one of the most frequently injured soldiers in his unit (he was wounded five times), but he kept returning to the fighting. He survived the war in spite of his hard experiences in uniform.

What’s this?!

There is a long connection between sports and the Canadian military. What do you think this object was used for?

Hint: These were seen at the 2017 Invictus Games that were held in Toronto!

Answer: A stick for playing sledge hockey

Crossword puzzle

Did you read the newspaper stories carefully? All the answers to the crossword clues are found in the newspaper.

Across

3. Codename of the beach in France where Canadians landed on D-Day.
6. Birthplace of Canadian Second World War sailor Harry Hurwitz.
9. First name of a military driver who served in the Gulf War.
10. Afghanistan province where Canadians served 2005-2011.
12. Codename of Canadian peacekeeping mission in Cyprus.
14. Special games for sick and injured service members being held in BC.
15. Last name of the first woman to become Judge Advocate General.
17. Type of Canadian military plane shot down on August 9, 1974.
18. German submarines that sank many Allied ships during the war.

Down

1. African country where Canadian peacekeepers deployed in 1993.
2. Last name of Mi’kmaq soldier who served in the Korean War.
4. Home province of Canadian peacekeeper Ron Knapton.
5. Codename of military response to natural disasters in Canada.
7. Codename of Allied invasion of Sicily on July 10, 1943.
8. Place where the Newfoundland Regiment fought on July 1, 1916.
11. Last name of Indigenous soldier who was wounded five times.
13. First name of a Second World War RCAF pilot who became a doctor.
16. African country where NATO operations took place in 2011.

Date modified:: 2024-08-15

Canada Remembers Times 2024 Veterans' Week Special Edition