Battle of Kapyong: Remembering Our Fallen Canadian Soldiers
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Mr. William Bill Chrysler a Canadian veteran of the Battle of Kapyong accompanied by Officer Cadet Jacob Trenter and Officer Cadet Athena Pucovsky from the Royal Military College Saint-Jean pose in front the Battle of Kapyong Canadian Memorial, in Gapyeong, South Korea, on April 22, 2022.
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Canada's Ambassador-designate to South Korea, Mr. Mark Fletcher, delivers a speech at the Canadian memorial of the Battle of Kapeyon, in Gapyeong, South Korea, on April 22, 2022.
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Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Payne, member of the Royal Canadian Artillery, has a conversation with Mr. William Bill Chrysler a Canadian veteran of the Battle of Kapyong at the Canadian Memorial of the Battle of Kapyong, in Gapyeong, South Korea, on April 22, 2022.
April 29, 2022 - Defence Stories
Capt Valerie Harvey, Public Affairs Officer
On April 22, 2022, a contingent of 14 Canadians gathered in Gapyeong, South Korea to commemorate the participation and sacrifice of Canadian soldiers in the Battle of Kapyong. The ceremony was held in the presence of Canada's Ambassador-designate to South Korea, Mr. Mark Fletcher, and Canada's Defence Attaché to South Korea, Captain (Navy) Jill Marrack, in honour of Canadian fallen soldiers in the Battle of Kapyong.
The Battle of Kapyong took place from April 22 to 25, 1951 and was one of the first battles in which Canadians participated during the Korean War. The 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry quickly established a defensive position on Hill 677, one of the hills surrounding the Kapyong Valley. The battle was a turning point in the Korean War. The 2nd Battalion was awarded the United States Presidential Unit Citation – a very rare honour for a Canadian unit. During this battle, 10 Canadian soldiers lost their lives and 23 were wounded.
"Hill 677 reminds us that the Battle of Kapyong represents the price Canadians are willing to pay to protect peace and democracy – the values of the South Korea/Canada relationship, sacrifice, commitment and perseverance in the face of global challenges” said Canada's Ambassador-designate to South Korea, Mr. Mark Fletcher.
Our commitment to collective security is reflected in our long-standing support for our core alliances, NATO and NORAD, and for the United Nations. Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement on the Korean Peninsula and the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Canada. To underline those milestones, the Kapyong Commemorative Trail will be inaugurated, in collaboration with the Gapyeong County Office. “As of next year, it will be possible to walk the Kapyong Commemorative Trail in the footsteps of Canadian veterans who, seven decades earlier, fought proudly under the aegis of the United Nations. Lest we forget” said Canada's Defence Attaché to South Korea, Captain (Navy) Jill Marrack.
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