SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — The Late Lieutenant-Colonel Jessie Chenevert

Honourable senators, I rise today in remembrance of Nursing Sister, Lieutenant-Colonel — Retired — Jessie Chenevert, who passed away on November 28 at the age of 101 years old.

Born Jessie Urquhart in Ottawa’s Glebe neighbourhood, Jessie trained as a hospital nurse in Brockville, Ontario, and went on to work in Kapuskasing. But in 1950, the world changed: The Korean War broke out. She made the brave choice to enlist in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps as a nursing sister, partly because she was very worried about her brother Bob, who was an army logistics officer with the Canadian Transport Company.

Upon landing in Japan in May 1953, Nursing Sister Chenevert became one of only 60 Canadian nurses — women — to serve in the Korean War. She served between two sites: the 400-bed British hospital in Kure, Japan; and the 120-bed No. 25 Canadian Field Dressing Station, located about 25 kilometres south of the Imjin River. The Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps faced the daunting challenge of treating battle-inflicted injuries and infectious diseases. Then, when the ceasefire came into effect, Canadian nursing sisters worked with the newly released prisoners of war, helping to restore their physical health before repatriating them back to their home countries.

After the war, Jessie continued to serve in the military. She served in Germany, Ottawa and Churchill, Manitoba. Over the course of her 25 years of service, she rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, and retired as Director of Nursing at the National Defence Medical Centre here in Ottawa, where I myself spent my first few years as a nursing officer.

This past year, I met Jessie when the city of Ottawa honoured her by naming a street after her. As I was due to travel to South Korea later that month with parliamentarians and Korean War veterans to mark the seventieth anniversary of the Korean War armistice, I asked Jessie if there was anywhere that she wanted me to visit in her honour. Ever spry at 101 years old, she looked at me and said, “You should be taking me with you.” I got the evil eye from the family, but she meant it. Unfortunately, we had to settle with bringing her photo with me.

I, along with other Canadian parliamentarians, paid tribute to her and other Korean War veterans — both those who died during the war and those who came home — at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan.

In her own words, and always very humble, she said, “I am no one special. I only did my job, what I signed up for.” But, Jessie, I have to respectfully disagree; you were pretty special.

The one thing that all military nurses have in common is our unwavering commitment to our patients, often without recognition. Colleagues, today, in the presence of her family, I would ask you all to take a moment to remember Jessie as a pioneer, and for the enormous impact that she had on so many.

Jessie, thank you for your service. Rest in peace.