Honourable senators, it is an honour for me to rise today to speak to the commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of the historic Battle of Hill 355, which took place on November 26, 1951 during the Korean War.

It was cold, there was fog, and uncertainty hung in the air. Canadian troops from the Royal Canadian Regiment, the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and the Royal 22nd Regiment, nicknamed the “Van Doos,” redeployed to Hill 355. Hill 355, so named on military maps because it was 355 metres above sea level, was nicknamed “Little Gibraltar” because of its shape and size. Located about 40 kilometres north of Seoul, it was highly valued because it was the highest ground overlooking the surrounding front lines and supply routes.

Outnumbered and exposed, the Van Doos held their ground until the Americans retook Hill 355 for good on November 25 and the communist attacks came to an end.

The Battle of Hill 355 remains a proud moment for the Van Doos, but it came with a heavy price. On November 26, I had the honour to organize a special commemorative ceremony to pay tribute to the service and sacrifices of all those who fought in the Battle of Hill 355 and all of our beloved Korean War veterans.

Two of our proud Van Doos, Claude Charland and Delphis Cormier, who fought in the Korean War, participated in the seventieth anniversary ceremony. They spoke about their wartime experiences and the pride they felt for their comrades. They were moved to tears by our tribute to them and by their own memories of fierce battles and lives that were lost.

The colonel of the Royal 22nd Regiment, Lieutenant-General Marc Caron, spoke about the long, proud history of the regiment and its members’ sense of honour and duty. He spoke about the gratitude that all members of the Van Doos have for our Korean War veterans, and he spoke about the brotherhood, the camaraderie and the teamwork —