Getting ‘Selected’ for Korea

Heroes Remember

Getting ‘Selected’ for Korea

Transcript

The Korean War started in '50 and I joined in '50. I was regular force, I was never active force, never special force I should say, not active force. I joined the regular force. I was in Montreal in '52 and the Korean War had been going then for just about two years and there was three of us single fellows who were all technicians and one day the boss came down to us and said, "I want two of you guys out of the three to go to Korea." As simple as that. We weren't asked, we were told we were going to Korea. We were regular force, you couldn't say no, "'m not going I'm going home. There was no choice. There was three of us down there talking and one guy, Stan Walburg, was out from the Prairies and I was from down east there and the other fellow was from Ontario and he was getting married. He had just been engaged to a nurse to get married. So the WO1 rank came down, had three straws - one short one and two long ones and he said, "We're gonna draw straws." I looked at Stan and I said, "Hey Stan, how do you like it, He'' gonna draw straws. Some of us are going and some of us aren't." Stan said, "Well, I'll tell you what Bob. I think you and I should go and let the other fellow get hung permanently. We are only going to get hung for a year so we'll be back but he's had the bird." He was getting married so the two of us went. We just volunteered, there was no argument.

Description

Mr. Dunham discusses how he was selected to go to Korea.

Robert Dunham

Robert Dunham was born in Chartersville, New Brunswick. He was one of three children. He grew up on his father’s truck farm, and graduated from Moncton High School in 1949. Mr. Dunham enlisted in 1950, and at the urging of his friends, became an electronics technician serving with the Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers. His first service overseas was in Korea from 1952 to 1953, where he was on duty just behind the front. He served in Cyprus in 1964, and later was to serve in Germany with the United Nations peacekeeping force. At home, Mr. Dunham served in Val Cartier, Calgary, Gander and Ottawa. He retired with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Recorded:: March 8, 2005
Duration:: 1:38
Person Interviewed:: Robert Dunham
War, Conflict or Mission:: Korean War
Location/Theatre:: Canada
Battle/Campaign:: Korea
Branch:: Army
Units/Ship:: Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers
Rank:: Warrant Officer
Occupation:: Electronics Technician

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Getting ‘Selected’ for Korea

Heroes Remember