The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

da A a a A Ns a aa Sn TE A ml i ae rst PU -- 4 - PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, December 12, 2000 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" Korea pays tribute to Canadians Port Perry vet receives letter from president of republic By Jeff Mitchell Port Perry Star Korean War veteran Bob Douglas has received heartfelt thanks for his participation in the conflict - from the leader of that country. In a letter commemorating the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, Korean President Kim Dae-jung thanks Mr. Douglas for the role he played in the conflict, and pays tribute to the Canadians who fought and died there. Mr. Douglas received the trib- ute at his Port Perry home last week. He was taken aback by the letter, but touched by its sinceri- ty. "It was sort of a shock, but a pleasant shock, to be recognized by someone so high," said Mr. Douglas. In the letter, which pledges "endless respect and affection" for the Canadians who fought in the dispute between South Korea and Communist North Korea, the president extends high praise. "We Koreans hold dear in our hearts the conviction, courage and spirit of sacrifice shown to us by such selfless friends as you, who enabled us to remain a free, democratic nation," says the message. "Half a century after the Korean War we honour you and reaffirm our friendship, which helped to forge the blood alliance between our two coun- tries. And we resolve once again to work with all friendly nations for the good of humankind, and peace in the world." For Mr. Douglas, the presi- dent's letter is a fitting tribute to the Canadians who served in what was termed a peacekeep- ing action, but in reality was a brutal, dirty war. He was with the military police; primary among his functions was to perform early-morning reconnaissance, determining what routes would be useable for troop move- ments. He volunteered to serve in Korea after his service in World War II. (Vos 55 non AH High FE Godot JEFF MITCHELL/PORT PERRY STAR Bob Douglas of Port Perry proudly displays the letter of appreciation he received last week from Kim Dae-jung, President of Korea. The letter thanks Mr. Douglas and his fel- low vets for their participation in the Korean. War from 1950 to 1953. Some 26,000 Canadians participated in the conflict, and more than 500 were killed. "lI saw most of the good stuff, and most of the bad stuff," said Mr. Douglas. "It was a dirty war. In Korea you lived in bunkers. You were like animals. It was similar to World War [; the lines were stat- ic." As in the first war, armies dug in and faced each other across a No Man's Land, said Mr. Douglas. Armies fired salvos back and forth across that chasm, and skir- mishes took their toll. "You lived one day to the next, because you didn't know if you were going to be alive the next day." Mr. Douglas continued his career with the military until 1968, serving 22 years. After that he worked in Alberta and Saskatchewan, managing golf courses. He moved to Port Perry in 1987, and lives here with his wife June. It was soon after moving to Port Perry that he became involved with the Korean Veterans Association (KVA), an organization to which he would devote a great deal of time in the ensuing years. "The first time | went out for the (Remembrance Day) parade on November | 1, | saw a guy with a green beret and a Korean medal on," said Mr. Douglas. "I asked him, what are you, a Boy Scout?" It turned out to be Paul Saulnier, who would introduce Mr. Douglas to the KVA organiza- tion in Oshawa. "A couple of years-later | was president of the (Oshawa) unit," said Mr. Douglas. "Then | moved up to the (Ontario) region office, and became membership chair- man for the region." Soon after that, Mr. Douglas was national membership chair- man for the KVA, a post he held in addition to that of member- ship chairman for the province. The organization was an important advocate for the Korean vets, who went for years without official recognition of their service from the federal government. "The KVA pushed the Canadian government to issue a volunteer medal for Korea," said Mr. Douglas. "It took us 10 years to get it." Mr. Douglas sometimes laments the fact that so little is known by the average Canadian about the Korean War. The conflict began in 1950 with the invasion of South Korea by communist North Korea. It was the first open act of war fol- lowing the establishment of the United Nations. Canada joined the UN effort in Korea, commit- ting more than 26,000 members of the armed forces. More than 500 of them died in action. Canada made a larger contri- bution, in proportion to its popu- lation, than most of the other countries involved in the action, according to the national Veterans Affairs website. Mr. Douglas has kept in touch with buddies he knew in Korea, and with others he's met through his involvement with the KVA. But his ability to get out and par- ticipate in the way he used to has been curtailed. Two years ago in January, Mr. Douglas was diagnosed with prostate and kidney cancer, and given just a few months to live. He fought back and his cancer is now in remission, but he is in need of oxygen around the clock. His world is now limited largely to his Port Perry home; in his office, with a window that looks onto Hwy. 7A, Mr. Douglas keeps tabs on the NFL on his televi- sion, and with the world via the Internet. "This old bird's tough," he said. "It's a different way of life," he says of his limitations. "I was very active. "But I'm feeling all right," said Mr. Douglas. "I look forward to every day. "There's lots to do." Grandview offers winter programs | re { as 3 ¥ rE Xo AF . x % sia 2 ROTEL ¥ pF § Registration is now under way at Grandview Children's Centre for its after school and weekend recreational programs for children and youth with special needs living in Durham Region. For pre-schoolers there's Kindergym, an eight week program running on Mondays. Activities focus on coordination, balance, flexibility and strength and will be held at the Gemini Stars Facility in Oshawa. Musical Play, is a music and movement pro- gram for pre-schoolers that runs on Fridays. Swimming programs are available includ- ing: Aquafun for parent and tots, on Wednesday momings at the Holiday Inn in Oshawa, led by a qualified Red Cross instructor that provides an opportunity for children to increase their comfort level and skill development in the water. Swim and splash, is a fun recreational swim on Monday afternoons at Grandview. There are also private and semi-private lessons available Monday aftemoons and evenings at the Grandview Children's Centre's pool. 304-6180. After school programs this winter for chil- dren and youth include: Jui Jitsu on Mondays; Art for the Fun of It on Tuesdays; and Let's Make Music on Wednesdays. Weekend programs include: Spectacular Saturday mornings which features games and theme craft days and Super Sunday afternoons with crafts and recreational sport and gym play. For details about any of the programs, please contact Cheri Wardell Carey at (905) 728-1673, ext. 265 or 1-800-