History - Korean War

The Korean War began as a civil war fought from 1950-1953 on the Korean Peninsula which had been divided by post-Second World War into Soviet and American occupation zones. The civil war started on June 25, 1950 when the Democratic People's Republic of Korea attacked the Republic of Korea.

The civil war greatly expanded when the United States and the People's Republic of China entered the conflict. The Korean War ended when a cease-fire was signed on July 27, 1953. South Korea was supported by United Nations (UN) forces primarily from the United States but many other nations contributed personnel. Canada was one of 21 nations that either participated in the war or sent medical staff.

In December, 1950 the 2nd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry landed in Korea followed by the Canadian Army Special Force (CASF). There were 21,940 Canadians serving in the army and approximately 3,600 naval personnel. Eleven army officers, 298 other ranks and three sailors fell in action while 1,202 were injured.

While many men and women from the County of Bruce enlisted in the country's forces for duty in Korea, the exact number is not known. Bruce County First Nations soldiers did participate during the Korean War while Bruce County resident Rollin John Hauser joined the artillery, serving in Korea and ordering the last round fired prior to the cease-fire. During the Korean conflict, U. N. Gunners hurled 4.5 million shells.