Niagara Falls memorial will honour Canadian soldiers killed in Korea
Published June 14, 2022 at 3:34 pm
A monument to commemorate Canada’s participation in the Korean War will be installed at Fairview Cemetery in Niagara Falls on June 16 in a ceremony from 11 am to noon.
The monument is specific to a key battle in the Korean War (1950-53) called the Battle of Gapyeong, in which Canadian soldiers held off an attack by the five-times-larger forces of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army and saved an invasion in the Korean capitol of Seoul.
Representatives of the Battle of Gapyeong Monument of Canada Committee, Korean Veterans Association of Canada and Niagara Korean Association, alongside City of Niagara Falls staff, have been working since September 2021 to select the ideal site and arrange for the monument to be created and installed.
In the end, they chose Fairview Cemetery (4501 Stanley Ave) with the monument is located adjacent to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the RCL Branch 51 Cenotaph.
The memorial consists of a large granite monument donated by the Mayor of Gapyeong County and shipped from Korea, three bronze plaques, and three, nine-metre flag poles.
It will become a historical symbol, acknowledging that the Korean and Canadian forces fought united in the battles of the Korean War. At the same time, it will also become a monument of peace for generations to come, contributing towards the good relationship between Korea and Canada.
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Over 27,791 Canadians fought during the Korean War with an additional 7,000 fighting in the US Peace Keeping Missions in Korea.
Of those Canadian soldiers, 516 were killed, 1,588 were wounded, and an additional 21 soldiers went missing during the fighting which took place on land and at sea.
In the Battle of Gapyeong, the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade fought the 118th Division of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army in Gapyeong Valley over three days and two nights, from April 23, 1951 to April 25, 1951.
Isolated from other units and, at one point, surrounded by the enemy, the “Patricia’s” gave up not one foot of ground; they halted the huge enemy offensive and saved the capital of the Republic of Korea.
In the battle, more than 10 Canadian soldiers were killed and another 23 were wounded. The victory in the battle stopped the Chinese advance south and allowed the friendly forces to secure time to build a new defense line along the Bukhangang River.
For their gallant action, the Princess Patricia’s 2nd Battalion, which was in the chain of command of American Army Corps, was awarded the United States Presidential Unit Citation.
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