The Korean War Veteran Will you Turn Toward Busan to remember

The Korean War Veteran
Internet Journal - October 26, 2011
Will you Turn Toward Busan to remember
Fallen Comrades on November 11?
There are two Monuments to Canadian Fallen.
One is located in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan, Korea.
The other is located in Ottawa. It was set in position by the National Capital
Commission so that the two standing figures look along a plot line to GPS
coordinates 35°7'39"N 129°5'50"E, where the Korean monument is located in the
UN Cemetery.
The Monument to Canadian Fallen on escarpment to Confederation Park in
Ottawa. The Canadian and Korean boy look along a plot line that extends
past the nearby National War Memorial that is adjacent to the Canadian
Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill and the Grave of the Unknown
Soldier from World War One, continuing out more than 6,000 miles across
the Pacific to the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan, Korea.
On the evening of November 10, at 9 p.m., Canada’s Minister of Veterans Affairs
Steven Blaney, Senator Yonah Martin, South Korea's Ambassador Nam Joo-Hong
and other dignitaries, including many Korean War Veterans, will gather in a
remembrance ceremony in Ottawa. They will turn to that bearing in Korea and
commemorate all of Canada’s Korean War Fallen, and the fallen from other wars.
It will be 11 a.m. on November 11 in Korea at that time and the Turn Toward
Busan National Ceremony of Thanks and Tribute to United Nations Fallen will
simultaneously take place at the UN Cemetery with 700 dignitaries participating.
In Korea, the Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Park Sung Choon, will
officiate, along with high ranking members of the diplomatic corps, military
departments, other government agencies, and Korean War Veterans.
The Commonwealth nations will have 26 delegates present, including eight who
were invited from Canada, eight from the United Kingdom, six from Australia and
four from New Zealand.
Two of the Korean War Veterans in the Canadian Delegation will pay homage at
the graves of their brothers. Their brothers fell in Korea and are buried in the UN
Cemetery.
Canada’s Senator Yonah Martin has stayed involved with this international
program for many months now and has discussed it several times with Minister
Park.
Likewise, she has discussed it with VAC Minister Blaney and others.
Both Senator Martin and Minister Blaney will participate in the Ottawa Turn
Toward Busan ceremony on November 10.
She will place a wreath for the Canadian Senate.
Minister Blaney will place a wreath for Veterans Affairs Canada and for all of
Canada's veterans.
His Excellency Nam Joo-Hong, South Korea's ambassador to Canada, will place a
wreath for the Republic of Korea.
Senior officers and officials from the Department of National Defence, the City of
Ottawa and other organizations, including the Royal Canadian Legion and the
National Aboriginal Veterans Association will also place wreaths for the Fallen.
For the first time, Canada’s Veterans Ombudsman, Guy Parent, will participate in
the service and will place a wreath on behalf of all of Canada’s veterans.
(Continues below official Ottawa program)
THE KOREA VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
L'ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DES VÉTÉRANS DE LA CORÉE
MEMORIAL CEREMONY
CÉRÉMONIE COMMÉMORATIVE
Ottawa
November 10, 2011
le 11 novembre, 2011
Turn to Busan
Tournez-vous vers Busan
Lest We Forget
N’oublions Jamais
ORDER OF SERVICE / ORDRE DE SERVICE
March on the Veterans / Défilé des Anciens combattants
National Anthems: Korea & Canada /
Hymnes nationaux: Corée et Canada
Opening Remarks / Allocutions d’ouverture
Remarks / Allocutions:
Veterans Affairs Canada / Anciens Combattants Canada
Republic of Korea / la République de la Corée
City of Ottawa / la Ville d’Ottawa
Benediction / Bénédiction
Act of Remembrance / Acte du souvenir
Commitment to Remember / Engagement du souvenir
Last Post / Dernière Sonnerie
Silence
Rouse / Réveil
Lament / l’Élégie
This evening, we remember our fallen comrades from Canada and her allies who
sacrificed their lives during war and peace. We especially remember our
comrades who died in the Korean War to safeguard the freedom of the people of
the Republic of Korea.
Ce soir, nous commémorons nos camarades canadiens et leurs Alliés tombés au
champ d’honneur qui ont consenti le sacrifice ultime en temps de guerre et de
paix. Nous nous souvenons tout particulièrement de nos camarades qui sont
morts pendant la guerre de Corée pour défendre la liberté de la population de la
République de Corée.
Laying of Wreaths / Dépot des couronnes
Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada
Senate of Canada / Sénat du Canada
Republic of Korea / la République de la Corée
Veterans Affairs Canada / Anciens Combattants Canada
Canadian Forces / les Forces canadiennes
City of Ottawa / la ville d’Ottawa
Veterans Ombudsman / Ombudsman des vétérans
Royal Canadian Legion / La Légion royale canadienne
Canadian Battlefields Foundation / Fondation canadienne des champs de
bataille
National Aboriginal Veterans Association / l’Association nationale d’anciens
combattants autochtones
Canada-Korea Society / Société Canada-Corée
Youth of Canada / Jeunesse Canada
Youth of Korea / Jeunesse Corée
Korea Veterans Association of Canada / l’association Canadienne des vétérans
de la Corée
Anthem: God Save the Queen / Hymne: Dieu sauve la reine
Closing Remarks / Allocutions de clôture
March off of the Veterans / Défilé des Anciens combattants
Reception / Réception
There will be Turn Toward Busan services held throughout Canada as well, both
on the evening of November 10 and as part of the Remembrance Day services held
on November 11. Both Korean War Veterans and patriotic non-Veterans hold such
services.
For instance, in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, veterans belonging to the Royal Canadian
Legion John Bernard Croak, VC Branch 3 and the Korean War Veterans
Association of Cape Breton Island will hold a Turn toward Busan service in the old
Savoy Theatre, as well as outside at the cenotaph at the Legion hall. It is a standing
room event.
John McNeil, the longtime president of that Legion and of the Cape Breton Korean
War Veterans, until contracting a severe illness, will not manage the programs this
year. He will participate somehow or other, using his walker and any needed
assistance from family.
The whole of Cape Breton Island is John’s family; he has done trouble shooting for
veterans and their disability claims and special needs for decades!
In Penticton, British Columbia, Korean War Veteran Lieutenant Colonel (Retired)
James Duncan will lead a service at the long-term care facility where he is a
resident.
Though Jim is legally blind, he is staking out a marker in the lounge so that
everyone attending the service can turn toward Busan and face the GPS
coordinates.
At the November 11 service he will assist the oldest veteran resident, who is age
97, in placing a wreath.
Jim is a stalwart veteran. His dear wife, who lived in a separate long term care
facility, passed away in September.
Jim and his wife very generously had donated $10,000 to help pay expenses
incurred in sending a large number of Kapyong veterans to Korea last April. It was
a private add-on to an official revisit, authorized by, but not paid for by the
Ministery of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
The 10 veterans involved had not been included in the regular revisit roster. The
MPVA did pay expenses in Korea and half of the air fare for the regular revisit
group of 60 veterans.
Incidentally, Lieutenant Colonel Duncan will wear his officer's uniform, the same
one he wore before his military retirement.
Also in British Columbia, Korean War Veteran Alex “Moose” Sim will conduct a
Turn Toward Busan service at a dinner function being held for the 419 Tactical
Fighter Training Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force from Cold Lake,
Alberta.
Alex served as a sergeant in Korea and is the honorary commanding officer of the
squadron. The function is being sponsored by the City of Kamloops and the 886
Wing Air Force Association of Canada.
The Turn Toward Busan service will be observed as far from Canada as Bangkok,
Thailand, as well.
If the floods do not force them to vacate Colonel (Ret’d) B.H. Chip Bowness and
his wife Dawn Lynn will respectfully turn toward Busan for the traditional two
minutes of silence.
They have done this since the Monument to Canadian Fallen was first dedicated in
the UN Cemetery ten years ago on November 11, 2010. It was rededicated and
Consecrated in April, 1952.
Chip Bowness was the Canadian Defence Attache in Korea. He and Dawn Lynn
worked hard supporting funding and development of both the Korean and
Canadian monuments.
He has held Turn Toward Busan services in many locations, including Canada,
Jerusalem, Thailand and wherever his duties with the United Nations and other
agencies have taken him.