SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Battle of Kapyong

Honourable senators, I rise today on behalf of Senator Martin to commemorate the historic seventy-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong, which stands as a solemn and powerful reminder of courage, sacrifice and unwavering resolve in the face of overwhelming odds.

On April 22, 1951, 75 years ago, in the rugged hills of Kapyong during the Korean War, a small band of brave soldiers stood against overwhelming forces and refused to yield. The Battle of Kapyong was more than a military engagement; it was a defining moment of courage, sacrifice and unbreakable resolve.

As Chinese forces surged south in a powerful offensive, the road to Seoul lay dangerously exposed. Had Kapyong fallen, the consequences could have been catastrophic.

In those critical days, Canadian soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, held the lines alongside their allies against a vastly larger enemy. Some recalled they were outnumbered 100 to 1. Wave after wave of enemy troops advanced through the valleys and up the hillsides. Through the night and under relentless attack, surrounded and cut off, the Canadians held their ground. Artillery was called in perilously close to their own positions. Ammunition ran low. The fighting was fierce, personal and unyielding, and yet they did not break. Against overwhelming odds, they stopped the advance and helped change the course of the Korean War.

For their extraordinary heroism and steadfast defence, the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, was awarded the United States Presidential Unit Citation, one of the highest honours that can be bestowed upon a military unit.

Today, as we mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong, we do more than remember a battle; we honour a legacy forged in sacrifice, courage and an unshakeable sense of duty. On Friday, April 24, we will gather at the National War Memorial for a wreath-laying ceremony with our beloved veterans, dignitaries — including parliamentarians — and others, to mark the milestone anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong.

Our veterans show us that true courage is not the absence of fear but the unwavering determination to stand firm in spite of it, to place the well-being of others above one’s own and to carry the burden of defending peace, knowing its cost.

The torch they lit on the hills of Kapyong has been passed to us. Let us carry it with honour and with purpose, and let us ensure that the light of their sacrifice never fades. We will remember them always.