It was hand-to-hand combat. A knife battle, literally..Out of ammo, out of food, out of everything … and facing insurmountable odds in a foreign land..A force of up to 1,000 Canadians, up against 10,000 rampaging Communist Chinese soldiers..Without question one of the most gripping stories in Canadian military history..And their heroism and sacrifice will be honoured on Saturday at a special ceremony in Airdrie, which will also involve the unveiling of the Korean War Gapyeong Battle Victory monument, erected at the Airdrie Cenotaph. . Battle of KapyongBattle of Kapyong .Why Airdrie?.“Because Airdrie has been the place that has hosted memorial services for the Battle of Kapyong and has worked with the Korean Veterans Association for many years now, said Gerald Chipeur, Honorary Consul for Korea, when reached by phone..“Peter Brown, the (Airdrie) mayor, was a visionary in terms of thinking about the importance of recognizing not just the Canadians that lived here in Calgary that participated in the war as veterans, but also the Korean veterans who have moved here since.”.“They have been hosting them regularly, annually. Different leaders from the Canadian government and Alberta government have gone to Airdrie to recognize and have a ceremony where wreaths are laid (annually) to recognize the sacrifice.”.On 22-25 April 1951, Canadian troops fought a difficult battle in the hills above the Kapyong Valley..Retreating Chinese and North Korean forces regrouped and counter-attacked in the western and west-central sectors of the front. .The South Korean forces in one area were overwhelmed and hurriedly fell back, putting them in danger of being overrun and wiped out..The 27th British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade — along with its Canadian contingent — was called up from reserve to the Kapyong Valley to cover this retreat..A defensive position was quickly established with the 3rd Royal Australian Regiment on Hill 504, the 2 Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) on Hill 677 and the UK’s 1st Middlesex Regiment situated south..During the night of April 23 the Australians came under heavy attack, holding out until the next day before being forced to withdraw. Their retreat left the Canadians exposed and, at 10 pm on April 24, the communist assaults began..“The Chinese were just coming in hoard after hoard. It was just walls of human soldiers coming in on this hill and driving for Seoul,” said Chipeur.. Battle of KapyongBattle of Kapyong .Canadian Bren light machine guns took a terrible toll, mowing down wave after wave of attackers..With a firing rate that fell between 480 and 540 rounds per minute, the Bren gun was effective and easy to control. It also weighed only 25 pounds loaded..A three-day battle; the Canadians were the only ones in the way of the Chinese and they repelled them … until they ran out of ammo.."We were surrounded on the hills of Kapyong and there was a lot of fire. We were pretty well out of ammunition and out of food too. We did get some air supplies dropped in, but we were actually surrounded," Gerald Gowing told Veterans Canada..That was the turning point of the battle — it then became a hand-to-hand combat struggle. Soldier pitted against soldier. Knives, bayonets and grenades..Not a single Canadian backed down or retreated … they held their positions, in the face of sure death..“Probably the biggest hero of that fight was Canadian military leader, lieutenant colonel, who was by the name of Michael Levy, who settled in Calgary,” said Chipeur..Levy, who died in 2009, would be posthumously awarded the Apostle of Peace medal, the award that Korea gives to any international soldier who fought in the Korean war with bravery — a fact that they duly appreciate, to this day.. Battle of KapyongBattle of Kapyong .Levy would call in their last hope … he radioed a “Broken Arrow” to the American forces — a bombardment on their position..US artillery and air cover responded, pounding the position..The Canadians, who had created foxholes for themselves, would survive the attack because they were underground effectively, said Chipeur. It would be the turning point in the battle..The Canadians, these 1,000 men — ten Canadians were killed and 23 were wounded — literally saved Seoul, because they defended the route that these Chinese soldiers were taking to overrun the city..“As the honorary consul for Korea, I am jointly sponsoring and hosting a visit by five members of the Korean National Assembly and the mayor of Kapyong,” said Chipeur. .“They are coming to Canada together with the Korean ambassador to Canada, Ambassador Lim, for the purpose of establishing a stone monument to the valor and the sacrifice of the Canadian soldiers, members of the Princess Patricia's.”.The Canadians had been training for months, ready to go. .This was right after the Second World War, so they brought the Patricia's back together and sent them over. .This was their first battle, said Chipeur, and it would be the most important one in the so-called “Forgotten War.”.The five members of the National Assembly and Joonsik Moon, Second Secretary and Consul, Embassy of the Republic of Korea, and local provincial officials will attend the statue’s unveiling at 11 am Saturday morning..The visitors will also attend the Calgary Stampede during the week..“There's a number of monuments around the world to the Korean War, and this stone is a particular battle memorial related to the Battle of Kapyong,” said Chipeur. .“They chose Airdrie because of the commitment of Peter Brown and his municipal council and government to maintaining the memory of that battle and of the Korean War,” said Chipeur. .The monument unveiling goes Saturday, July 8, at the Airdrie Cenotaph, 275 Jensen Drive N.E., at 11 a.m.
