Times Advocate, 1999-11-10, Page 20Crossr
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Exeter Times Advocate
s memories of Korean War remain vivid
The time he spent in South Korea is never far from McCurdy's mind and has influenced
the way he Looks at the world.
Don McCurdy at age 20 in his army camp in South
Korea.
By Kate Monk
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
STEPHEN TWP. — Korea may
be half a world away from Don
McCurdy's home in Stephen Twp.
but it's never far from heart.
McCurdy was anion leader in
the Korean War in 1954-55 and
although his time in the army was
only a sliver of his 65 -year life, it
has affected, his ethics and daily
actions.
"It's been a guiding tool," he
told the T -A 'last week.
"All of us who have been in that
area appreciate life a bit differ-
ently,* he explained. "(It taught
us) to be more thoughtful of what
we are doing."
Growing up during the Second
World War and having uncles
who served in the First World
War influenced McCurdy's deci-
sion to join Huron -Middlesex
Cadets Corps in Exeter.
At the end of Grade )14
McCurdy travelled to western
Canada to look for a job. Unable
to find work. McCurdy joined the
regular army. He enlisted in
October 1953 into the Queens
Own Rifles, 2nd Battalion at
Jericho Beach in Vancouver as a
rifleman.
After enlisting, he returned to
Ipperwash Army Camp for basic
training. Ready for active duty.
McCurdy was posted to Kora&
His unit travelled to Seoul and
replaced the 3rd R.C.R.'s (Royal
Canadian Regiment) in March
1954.
McCurdy said he didn'tknow
much about Korea beferit his
posting but quickly became fermi
iar with the people and the coun-
tryside.
There was a truce when
McCurdy arrived but his section
was still armed and in a fighting
mode.
"We were still a brigade on the
ground," he said. Although they
were in a truce, the area was still
"a theatre of war."
As a corporal, McCurdy was in
charge of a section that patrolled
and defended a zone between
North and South Korea, ensuring
the enemy did not infiltrate their
Iines.
Often his unit was within sight
and hearing distance of the
enemy.
"Once in a whi=le,- we'd hear
them talking," he said, admitting
they'd be close enoughto wave to
the enemy who would wave back.
The war made McCurdy and his
fellow soldiers, mature. quickly. He,
was not involved in heavy fighting
,'but members of his unit were
killed.
realize I was very lucky," he
said. .
When the war ended, I cr_ urtif
unit restored the area se that it
was safe. for the civilians to
return. This: included cleaning up
grenades, -land mines and rein
terning the battle: site graveyard.
The units also ensured peace was
Maintained within the vi=llage
when the civilians returned by
using force to remove "rogues"'
who wanted to take controL
Several people and events are
etched in McCurdy's mind.
He spoke of a badly wounded
six-year-old boy who came into
their camp. The. first thingthe
boy did was point to, his stomach,,
hoping to receive some food.
McCurdy can still picture the
smile on the bots fice when he
was, given a chocolate- bar.
McCurdyalso recalls a family
unit of tour children, left to sur -
vivre without parents.
He said the South Koreans were
"very pleasant and honourable"
and there was a good rapport
between the Canadians and the
South Koreans.
Although most civilians had left
the area during the war, several
South Koreans trained with
McCurdy's unit.
"They were good people,' he
said. "They trained us more than
we trained them."
McCurdy admits with a smile he
lost several leg wrestling matches
to a smaller and younger, yet
stronger South Korean. Many
wbo were in active fighting were
anis ,43 or 14 years old.
Korman children did laundry or
othek chores around the army
camp, to earn money for their
families.
The flavour of fresh rice is one
of McCurdy's favourite memories.
"I don't think I've ever tasted
rice as good," he said.
But the fragrant, fishy smell that
permeated the countryside is 'a
less pleasant recollection.
"It never really left us.;" he
recalled.
McCurdy also' remembers
Christmas day in South Korea.
His mother and ladies in the
church and the legion sent. him
food and other items. Including
three or four chocolate cakes. Not
everyone in the unit was se fortu-
nate but McCurdy said the cakes
were shared.
"Whatever Christmas we had . .
. was enjoyed by everyone:"
The caring gestures by the
legion is part of the reason
McCurdy .0112et-the Exeter legion.
when he returned home.
"(The legion) had dealt me a
pretty good hand over there," he
said.
McCurdy hat held several posi-
tions in the LE, Pooley Br. I&7
Legion in Exeter and is. in his sec-
ond year as president He sees his
role as one who pulls people
together.
The legion provides services for
veterans and their families and
donates to charities.. It is also a
focal point for the community.
"Community work will be the
basis (of the legion). in the next
millennium," McCurdy predicts.
To McCurdy, Remembrance Day
is about the tragic loss of life.
"Even. though we weren't heavi-
�ip involved, we left. people there-,"
McCurdy said, adding he has an
idea of what the First and Second
World War veterans and their
families experienced.
"Hopefully we won't have to go
through that nonsense again," he
said.
McCurdy hopes others will learn
from the experiences of veterans
and others who have been
involved in war. He said he
believes Koreans have an appre-
ciation for what Canadians and
others sacrificed.
Each August, he attends a. din-
ner in. London for Korean war
veterans.
"That makes. me appreciate Nov.
11 that much more,' he addedx.
As a school teacher, McCurdy.
did; his part to teach his students
about war and its conseqe&
As a legion 'member, he co-ordi-
nates the youth poetry and public
speaking contests and is involved
with the Gr. 7 and 8 _curriculum
units on war. .
He hopes the messages make
students think and be somber
when contemplating war and the
sacrifices of veterans but admits
it's difficult for Canadian youth to
appreciate the sacrifices when
they haven't experienced war.
He doubts the world will ever be
free of military conflicts untilpeo-
ple become more tolerant of oth-
ers.
"If the population could only
really see and 'feel through the
eyes of veterans and see the little
kid pointing to his stomach .. .
knowing what the youngster has
gone through," he said.
McCurdy hopes to someday
return to South Korea with his
wife Marion to see the plaque
erected in the honour of the ser-
vicemen and to see the area
where he was stationed.
•