Significance of Korean War

Heroes Remember

Significance of Korean War

Transcript

Oh, we got along good. All the Americans again were, you know they were drafted there, most of them that and they didn't want to be there so. But the Brits the ones I know in (inaudible) there was a tank, an armoured division there. They were always coming over to our, to our mess hall like we had a mess hall you know... we, we ate in the tent eh and they were always coming over to our tent to eat. They didn't say nothing, but they were good guys eh. They'd try to bring, their rations were horrible oh we had, we had Brit rations, so we started getting American rations, C7 rations. They were good, you got cigarettes and you got cigarettes the American or the Britsh rations they're players they called them one-two-three. They were like toothpicks and hard you couldn't smoke ‘em and we started on the American ones they had 2 packs of cigarettes a day candy and all well American you know it's like, like our, our food. They had the same thing, but everything was set up so nice you had can heat. You'd heat up your little, your little pork and beans or anything you wanted and they had another new thing that came out is soup. You could light a cigarette... we had a lot, there's alot of those in the lines you just touch it with, with a cigarette and it'd go "phsst" and that can and you couldn't touch it. It was hot eh. It was a hot drink. That was, that was a real good thing and of course your shot of rum was good too. Interviewer: What was your reaction when you heard that there had been a peace signed? From where we were on our reserve position we could see the, the, the lights the peace lights and we're just you know, we'd sit around and say when are they gonna sign that god damn thing you know, fighting over this bull shit and finally it was done you know. It had seemed nearly everybody was firing their weapons in the air, get on top of the hill and you could, and they were coming out the Chinese. You'd see them coming out of their trenches too. It was a great thing, but it went back to the, the polishing you know. The old army style discipline. You'd shine your boots and your, your hat badges and what have you. You'd get cleaned again and start soldiering. But it was quite an experience, then we, we took a boat back right into Vancouver, got off , went home. Interviewer: What's your views on the Korean Conflict and its necessity? Well after going back you know and looking at communists is the big thing. Like I can say it now because I was in Cuba and I know what it's like. These people are isolated. They're not free to do anything and I, this is why we were there. We were trying to free some people, to support them. I, I think that right now to this day and that's what they're doing and I think it's needed in order to, to protect the innocent. You, you, they have to do it. You know a lot of people criticize the bombing and you know there, there's two ways to look at that. Myself yeah they should bomb. They're in the plane. You know to go, in order to go in, send troops in there's going to be casualties, foot troops. It is a good way and people don't realize. They protest, they protest of the bombing, but they realize what you know you see the graves they're digging up out there. That's basically the same thing that was happening in Korea. Well they overrun them right to Pusan at one time till the Americans redone it and pushed them back to Seoul. And when, when, when I, when we went through Seoul there was nothing standing. It was flat. That thing was flat. There was only the Seoul gate that was standing and I seen it on my revisit. That was the only thing and I , the hotel I stayed in this time was right beside there and I couldn't try and place it. I was trying to find out where the BMH was, that British Army Hospital. I, I thought it was in a, in it was a hospital but I thought maybe it was in a school or university type thing. I couldn't find it. But anyways you're talking about Korea why yeah, I, I, think we should have been there. The, if you ever go back, now you could see why. How these people are you know compared to the time when I left and a lot of the other Canadians that you know how these people looked. They were practically starving and the way they were living. Now they're, they're happy and certain people you know living quite well.

Description

Mr. Petit talks about the relationships between Canadian soldiers and members of the forces of other countries in Korea at the time. He also speaks about the quality of Canadian rations and reflects on the end of hostilities. He then goes on to offer his thoughts on the purpose and significance of the war in Korea.

Claude Petit

Claude Petit was born on October 31, 1935, in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan. He had one brother and a sister who passed away shortly after her birth. Mr. Petit's family has a long history of military service; his father fought in the Second World War and many other members of his family participated in conflicts dating back to the Riel Rebellion. Mr. Petit enlisted in the Korean War at the age of 16 and served with the 1st Battalion of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry.

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