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- I HEARD A VOICE SHOUTING, "CANADA BOY,

TONIGHT YOU DIE" IN PERFECT ENGLISH.

AND I SHOUTED BACK,

"COME AND GET IT, YOU SON OF A BITCH".

AS IT TURNED OUT IT WAS A FULL BATTALION

AND I HAD 28 MEN.

- IF THERE WAS A BATTALION THERE,

THEY WERE MEANT TO TAKE MORE THAN 28 GUYS ON.

THEY FORGOT THEY WERE FIGHTING AGAINST CANADIANS.

- THOSE MEN WERE FANTASTIC. 28 HEROES.

JUNE 1950.

COMMUNIST FORCES FROM NORTH KOREA

INVADE THE SOUTH.

THE KOREAN WAR BEGINS.

- I WAS 19

AND THEY STARTED TO MAKE SOME TROUBLE IN KOREA.

I WAS ANXIOUS TO JOIN, AND SO ME AND

FOUR OTHER FRIENDS OF MINE, WE JUMPED IN OUR CAR

BEFORE THEY EVEN HAD THE RECRUITING DRIVE.

CANADA, THE UNITED STATES AND THEIR ALLIES

SUPPORT SOUTH KOREA

WHILE THE SOVIET UNION AND CHINA BACK THE NORTH.

KOREA WILL BE THE CENTRE

OF A NEW STRUGGLE BETWEEN SUPERPOWERS

AND THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE COLD WAR.

- THE PRIME MINISTER, THEN LOUIS ST. LAURENT,

CAME ON RADIO SAYING HE WANTED VOLUNTEERS

AND SO MYSELF AND A FEW OTHERS,

WE HAD A FEW DRINKS AND WE SUDDENLY THOUGHT

IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA TO ANSWER THE CALL.

WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES, TO EACH OTHER,

TO OUR CHILDREN AND TO EACH OTHERS' CHILDREN

TO DO EVERYTHING HUMAN FORESIGHT CAN SUGGEST

TO PREVENT THE DISASTERS OF A THIRD WORLD WAR.

BY THE FALL OF 1951,

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF KOREANS ARE DEAD.

AND CHINESE AND UNITED NATIONS FORCES HAVE FOUGHT

EACH OTHER TO A STALEMATE ALONG THE 38TH PARALLEL.

THE CANADIANS JOIN THE FRONT ALONG THE JAMESTOWN LINE -

A SYSTEM OF TRENCHES STRETCHING THROUGH THE KOREAN HIGHLANDS.

ONE OF THEIR POSITIONS IS PERCHED

ON THE SONGGOK SPUR.

IN LATE OCTOBER WITH THE WEATHER TURNING COLD

AND THE NIGHTS GROWING LONGER,

LIEUTENANT ED MASTRONARDI AND HIS PLATOON DIG IN.

- I WENT OUT WITH 2 PLATOON, ABLE COMPANY,

AND THEY USED TO CALL US THE "FLYING DEUCE".

A MARVELOUS GROUP OF MEN, WOEFULLY UNDER STRENGTH.

MY GOD, WE HAD EVERY ETHNIC BACKGROUND

ABORIGINAL,

AFRICAN-CANADIAN,

IRISH, ENGLISH, AUSTRALIAN...

EVERYONE THAT REPRESENTS CANADA AS WE SEE IT TODAY.

AND THEY WERE ALL VOLUNTEERS.

- WE COULDN'T DO ENOUGH FOR EACH OTHER.

WE USED TO GET A DELIVERY OF BEER TO THE OUTPOST.

THERE WOULD BE ONE BOTTLE OF ASAHI BEER

FOR EACH ONE IN THE UNIT.

WE WOULD GIVE ALL OF THE BEER TO ONE PERSON

SO HE COULD TIE ONE ON THAT NIGHT

AND WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO HELP

AND WATCH AND LOOK AFTER HIM.

WE WERE GLAD TO SHARE IT WITH ANYBODY.

WE RECOGNIZED THAT YOU GOT TO WORK TOGETHER

IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH MANY DIFFERENT THINGS

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID, WE WORKED TOGETHER.

2 PLATOON'S POSITION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

THEIR OUTPOST IS ONLY 600 YARDS

FROM THE ENEMY FRONTLINE

AND THERE'S ONLY ONE NARROW ESCAPE ROUTE TO THE REAR.

THE CANADIANS ESTABLISH A TRIPWIRE -

A LISTENING POST OF THREE MEN

DUG IN ON A SMALL HILL KNOWN AS "THE PIMPLE".

- WE SENT IN THREE PEOPLE AND IF THEY FELT THAT

THERE WAS ANY CHANCE OR ANYTHING THAT

THE ENEMY WAS COMING AROUND OR GOING TO ATTACK US

THAT THEY WOULD BE AWARE FIRSTLY.

THIS ONE NIGHT WHEN THEY WERE OUT THERE

WE HEARD A BIT OF GUNFIRE GOING ON

AND THE FIRING STOPPED AND NOBODY COME BACK.

SO THE NEXT MORNING, WE SENT A SECTION PATROL

OUT TO SEE HOW THE BOYS WERE DOING,

AND THEY WERE ALL DEAD.

AND THE NEXT NIGHT THERE WAS SOME MORE

ACTIVITY AROUND THAT TRENCH

- WE DIDN'T PUT ANYBODY ELSE OUT THERE -

SO ON THE NEXT DAY AFTER THAT,

WE SENT A PATROL OUT THERE TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON

AND THEY HAD LEFT A BIG SIGN FOR US.

AND THE BIG SIGN SAYS, "HILLTOP IS YOUR GRAVE,

SURRENDER IS THE WAY FOR LIFE".

YEAH, THEY WERE ADAMANT TO GET US.

- I KNEW WE WERE VULNERABLE.

I KNEW IT WAS A POSSIBILITY,

DEFINITELY A POSSIBILITY WE COULD GET WIPED OUT.

A PLATOON IS SUPPOSED TO BE 40, WE HAD 28.

THE CHINESE ATTACK ON THE PIMPLE IS A SUCCESS,

BUT IT'S ALSO ALERTED THE REMAINING 28 CANADIANS.

THEY NOW KNOW A BIGGER ATTACK IS COMING.

WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW IS JUST HOW BIG IT WILL BE.

- WE KEPT WIRING, DIGGING IN MORE AND MORE

AND AT NIGHT COULD HEAR ALL THE NOISE GOING ON.

AND I SAID, "SOMEBODY'S GOING TO GET HIT."

AROUND SIX O'CLOCK, I CALLED MY CORPORALS IN.

IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY AND SO I HAD SAVED SOME BEER,

ASAHI JAPANESE BEER.

AND WE HAD A BIT OF A TALK AND I SAID,

"YOU KNOW, I GOT A FEELING IT'S GONNA GET HOT TONIGHT."

- WE HAD FELT ALL DAY THAT THERE WAS SOME ACTIVITY

BUILDING UP, THAT THEY WERE COMING IN ON US.

AND AT THOSE TIMES YOU ALWAYS HAD 100 % STAND-TO.

- AND MY TOP CORPORAL, JACK SARGENT WAS HIS NAME,

HE WAS JUST OUT MOVING TO HIS POSITION

WHICH WAS IN OUR REAR,

AND HE SHOUTED, "BOSS, THEY'RE COMING"!

AND THEY WERE MOVING AROUND TO CUT US OFF.

- WE COULD HEAR SOME HUSHED VOICES LIKE...

AND WHEN WE LOOKED OVER TO OUR LEFT,

WE COULD SEE A LINE UP OF ENEMY TROOPS.

- I HEARD A VOICE CALLING OUT FROM OUR WIRE

SHOUTING, "CANADA BOY, TONIGHT YOU DIE".

I WAS ANGRY.

"CANADA BOY, TONIGHT YOU DIE,"

LIKE HELL... LIKE HELL.

AND I SHOUTED BACK,

"COME AND GET IT YOU SON OF A BITCH".

NOVEMBER 2, 1951.

THE KOREAN WAR IS IN A STALEMATE

AND 28 CANADIAN SOLDIERS DEFEND

A REMOTE OUTPOST ON THE FRONTLINE.

- I KNEW WE WERE VULNERABLE.

I KNEW IT WAS A POSSIBILITY,

A DEFINITE POSSIBILITY WE COULD GET WIPED OUT.

JUST 600 YARDS AWAY,

CHINESE FORCES ARE PLANNING AN ATTACK

TO BREAK THROUGH CANADIAN LINES.

- WE HAD FELT ALL DAY THAT THERE WAS SOME ACTIVITY

BUILDING UP, THAT THEY WERE COMING IN ON US.

AS DARKNESS FALLS,

ENEMY TROOPS EMERGE FROM THE SHADOWS.

THE BATTLE HAS BEGUN.

- WHEN WE FIRST GOT ATTACKED,

WHAT HAPPENED WAS EDDIE AND I WERE IN

THE SLIT TRENCH AND WE COULD SEE A LINE UP

OF ABOUT FIVE OR SIX ENEMY TROOPS.

WE COULD HEAR SOME HUSHED VOICES, LIKE...

- AND I... SHOUTED BACK,

"COME AND GET IT YOU SON OF A BITCH".

WELL, THEY CAME.

- THERE WAS ALL SORTS OF FIRING GOING ON

AND YOU COULDN'T SORT ANYTHING OUT.

- YOU CAN'T SEE A LOT BECAUSE IT'S DARK,

IT'S ABSOLUTELY NIGHT.

THE CHINESE PLAN IS TO CHARGE ALONG

THE RIDGE TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE OUTPOST,

CUT OFF THE PLATOON AND OVERWHELM THE CANADIANS.

- SO WE WENT ON OUR RADIO, I CALLED INTO

THE COMPANY COMMANDER AND I SAID, "MAJOR,"

I SAID, "THEY'RE COMING IN

AND I THINK THEY'RE COMING IN IN STRENGTH".

THE ATTACK IS MASSIVE.

A FULL BATTALION OF 800 CHINESE.

- AND I HAD 28 MEN.

- IF THERE WAS A BATTALION THERE,

THEY WERE MEANT TO TAKE MORE THAN 28 GUYS ON.

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY FIGURED IF THEY COULD

TAKE THE 28 GUYS JUST LIKE THAT - WOO!

BUT THEY FORGOT THEY WERE FIGHTING AGAINST CANADIANS.

- SO I CALLED FOR THE ARTILLERY.

YOU COULD HEAR THE BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG,

BANG, BANG - IN CAME THE ARTILLERY.

- AFTER THE FIRST WAVE OR THE FIRST ATTACK,

THINGS SETTLED DOWN FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO

IS CHECK YOURSELF FOR ANY WOUNDS

AND SO I STARTED TO FEEL AROUND AND

I FELT AROUND MY THIGH AND ON MY RIGHT THIGH

THERE WAS A SWELLING AND IT WAS HOT AND STICKY AND NUMB.

AND I SAID, "EDDIE, I THINK I GOT ONE ON MY RIGHT THIGH".

AND I PUT MY HAND IN MY POCKET...

AND WE HAD GOT AN ORANGE FOR SUPPER THAT NIGHT,

AND I'D PUT ONE IN MY POCKET

AND DURING THE COURSE OF THE FIGHT,

THE ORANGE SQUASHED AND BROKE,

AND SOME OF THE JUICE COME ON MY PANTS.

AND SO THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK IN BETWEEN

THE FIRING, WE THOUGHT WAS A LITTLE HUMOUR.

BEFORE WE THEN COME UNDER FIRE AGAIN.

THE CANADIANS SURVIVE THE FIRST ASSAULT.

BUT THE BATTLE HAS JUST BEGUN.

THE NEXT ATTACK WILL BE EVEN MORE TERRIFYING:

A HEAD-ON CHARGE FROM THE PIMPLE.

FACING THE ONSLAUGHT IS CORPORAL HARRY SILABY.

- MY OTHER CORPORAL, HARRY SILABY,

AN ABORIGINAL, A WONDERFUL CORPORAL,

HE COULD SEE THE BUILD UP OFF THE PIMPLE.

AND HE CALLED OUT TO ME, HE SAID,

"THEY'RE COMING IN ON ME".

AND THEN SUDDENLY ARTILLERY FIRED A FLARE...

AND I SAW THEM.

I JUST KEPT SHOUTING, "HOLD, HOLD"

UNTIL I SAW THEM COMING RIGHT UP TO THE WIRE.

AS HUNDREDS OF CHINESE CREEP CLOSER AND CLOSER,

CANADIAN GUNNERS PICK THEIR TARGETS.

- AND I YELLED, "OKAY, FIRE".

A SMALL GROUP OF CANADIAN SOLDIERS

ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES

IN THE MIDDLE OF A KOREAN BATTLEFIELD.

- THERE WAS ALL SORTS OF FIRING GOING ON

AND YOU COULDN'T SORT ANYTHING OUT.

AFTER REPELLING ONE ATTACK,

THE CANADIANS NOW FACE A MASSIVE HEAD-ON CHARGE.

- AS IT TURNED OUT, IT WAS A FULL BATTALION.

AND I HAD 28 MEN.

HARRY COULD SEE THE BUILD UP OFF THE PIMPLE

AND THEY WERE AMASSING THERE.

AND HE CALLED OUT TO ME,

HE SAID, "THEY'RE COMING IN ON ME".

THE IDEA WAS TO CATCH THEM AT THEIR MOST VULNERABLE PLACE.

I JUST KEPT SHOUTING, "HOLD, HOLD"

ALMOST LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF THE PAST,

YOU KNOW, THIS IDEA OF HOLDING WITH THE FIRE.

THEN I SAW THEM COMING RIGHT UP TO THE WIRE

AND I YELLED, "OKAY, FIRE"!

- AND THEY WERE SHOUTING AND SCREAMING AND YELLING.

AND THEY JUST KEPT TUMBLING.

I WAS BUSY HAMMERING AWAY TOWARDS THE PIMPLE.

I DIDN'T THROW IT LOBBING.

I THREW IT LIKE A FOOTBALL.

WE HAD 350 GRENADES AND WE THREW THEM ALL.

- MY GUYS JUST TOOK THEM OUT...

- WE WERE TOLD THAT MANY OF THE CHINESE

WERE FED OPIATES IN THEIR RICE.

AND SO WE FIGURED THEY WERE ON DRUGS IN A LOT OF CASES.

AND THAT'S WHY THEY COULD RUN RIGHT INTO THE FACE OF FIRE

WITHOUT SEEKING PROTECTION.

- I NEVER QUESTIONED THEIR SORT OF BRAVERY

AND DETERMINATION.

SOME PEOPLE SAID THEY WERE ALL HOPPED UP WITH OPIUM

AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT AT ALL.

I THINK THAT THEY WERE WELL INDOCTRINATED.

- I RESPECTED THEM FOR WHAT THEY WERE DOING.

BUT THEY WERE THE ENEMY AND WE WERE THERE TO FIGHT.

AND THEY WERE THERE TO FIGHT.

MASTRONARDI AND HIS PLATOON HAVE BEEN FIGHTING

FOR FIVE HOURS.

EXHAUSTED, THEIR GUNS OVERHEATING

AND AMMUNITION RUNNING LOW,

THEY ARE BARELY HOLDING ON.

- THEY HAD SO MANY MEN, THAT THEY JUST COULD KEEP

COMING AT US AND COMING AT US BECAUSE

THEY COULD REINFORCE FROM BEHIND THEIR LINES.

AND THEY KNEW WE ONLY HAD 28.

- BY THAT TIME BECAUSE OF THE FANTASTIC FIRING ON

I WAS HAVING A LOT OF CASUALTIES.

AND I CALLED BACK I SAID, "I'M RUNNING OUT OF AMMUNITION

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER..."

THEN A BOOMING VOICE CAME ON, "THIS IS BIG SUNRAY".

IT WAS ROCKINGHAM.

BRIGADIER JOHN ROCKINGHAM

IS THE COMMANDER OF THE ENTIRE CANADIAN FORCE.

- HE SAID, "ED, YOU'RE THE CORK IN THE BOTTLE,

YOU'VE GOT TO HOLD".

I SAID, "I'LL DO THE BEST I CAN, SIR".

ROCKINGHAM BELIEVES THE CHINESE ATTACK

COULD BE PART OF A MUCH LARGER OFFENSIVE.

IF 2 PLATOON FALLS,

THE ENTIRE CANADIAN LINE COULD BE OVERRUN.

- THEY WERE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH

AND WE WERE VERY THIN ON THE LINE.

AND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE SPOT

THAT COULD HAVE LED TO PRETTY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.

WITH THE CANADIANS CLOSE TO BREAKING,

THE CHINESE INTENSIFY THEIR ATTACK

AND UNLEASH A TERRIFYING NEW WEAPON.

- THEN I HEARD A RUMBLING, IT SOUNDED LIKE A TANK.

SURELY THEY'RE NOT SENDING A TANK HERE.

IN THE DARKNESS OF THE KOREAN HIGHLANDS,

28 CANADIAN SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING

NON-STOP FOR SIX HOURS.

- THEY HAD SO MANY MEN THAT THEY COULD KEEP

COMING AT US AND COMING AT US.

ALMOST A THIRD OF THE PLATOON HAS BEEN WOUNDED

AND AMMUNITION IS LOW.

SURRENDER IS NOT AN OPTION;

THE MEN HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO HOLD THE LINE.

- HE SAID, "ED, YOU'RE THE CORK IN THE BOTTLE,

YOU'VE GOT TO HOLD".

I SAID, "I'LL DO THE BEST I CAN, SIR".

WITH DAYLIGHT STILL HOURS AWAY,

A TERRIFYING NEW WEAPON ARRIVES ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

- I HEARD THIS RATTLING, IT SOUNDED LIKE A TANK,

I SAID, "MY GOD, THEY'RE SENDING A TANK OVER."

AND THE THING GOT REASONABLY CLOSE

AND IT STOPPED.

IT WASN'T A TANK, IT WAS A 75MM PROPELLED GUN

THAT THE CHINESE HAD.

I HAD A ROCKET LAUNCHER TEAM,

BURGESS AND MCDOUGALL.

I SAID, "HERE'S YOUR BIG CHANCE.

YOU'VE BEEN CARRYING THIS DAMN THING AROUND,

FIRST CHANCE TO USE IT NOW GO AND GET THEM."

I SAID, "BUT REMEMBER,

AFTER YOU FIRE GET OUT OF THE WAY".

WE HAD SET EXITS AT VARIOUS PLACES

THROUGH THE WIRE.

THEY MADE THEIR WAY THROUGH AND SET UP.

IT WAS ONLY ABOUT, I DON'T THINK MORE THAN

50, 60 YARDS AWAY AND THEY FIRED.

BUT THEY MISSED.

AND I THINK THEY WERE KIND OF STUNNED

BY THE FACT THAT THEY'D MISSED.

BUT THE SELF-PROPELLED GUN DIDN'T.

IT FIRED AT THEM.

AND IT DIDN'T KILL THEM, IT WOUNDED THE TWO MEN.

I SENT GUYS OUT TO BRING THEM BACK INTO THE WIRE.

AND I SAID - YOU KNOW, I HATE TO SEE THEM HURT,

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU MOVE AWAY LIKE I TOLD YOU TO?"

THEY FELT EMBARRASSED ABOUT THAT,

THEY TOLD THAT STORY I THINK THREE TIMES

ABOUT THEIR BIG MOMENT AND THEY BOOZLED IT.

BUT THE DAMN THING DIDN'T STAY, IT WENT BACK.

IT TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK

MAYBE THINKING WE HAD MORE TO FIRE AT THEM.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT PROMPTED THEM

BUT THANK GOD THEY WENT BACK.

IN TERMS OF MINUTES AND HOURS,

I WAS NOT CONSCIOUS OF TIME AT ALL.

I WAS ONLY CONSCIOUS OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

THE SORT OF "BREAKS" BETWEEN THE MAJOR ATTACKS,

IT WASN'T THAT QUIET. THEY WERE STILL FIRING,

THEY WERE STILL COMING CLOSE

BUT NOT WITH THE MASSIVE FIRE SUPPORT.

THERE WERE ACTUALLY THREE OF WHAT I WOULD CALL MAJOR ATTACKS,

FULLY SUPPORTED BY EVERYTHING THEY HAD.

UNABLE TO DISLODGE THE DEFENDERS,

THE CHINESE REVERT TO THEIR ORIGINAL PLAN,

MOVING ALONG THE RIDGE LINE TO THE SOUTH

TO HIT THE CANADIANS FROM BEHIND.

AND THIS TIME, THEY GOT MUCH CLOSER.

- THE CHINESE USED THE BUGLE NOT JUST TO

GET PEOPLE TO RUN FORWARD BUT RALLYING,

RALLYING WHEN THEY GOT INTO POSITION.

JACK SARGENT SAID, "THEY'RE COMING THROUGH ON ME!"

SO I RAN ALONG THE RIDGE,

I REMEMBER ALL THIS STUFF GOING BACK AND FORTH.

I JUST GOT CLOSE TO HIM AND THERE'S THIS

CHINESE BUGLER ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT FEET AWAY

BLASTING AWAY TO RALLY TO COME TO HIM.

I JUST AIMED

AND I SHOT THE BUGLER RIGHT THROUGH HIS NECK.

AND BOB KILPATRICK MY SIGNALER, HE SAID,

"OH MY GOD, THEY'RE COMING UP BEHIND US HERE"

AND THEY WERE - OH, NOT MORE THAN TEN, 12 FEET AWAY.

I HAD A FLARE GUN IN ONE HAND

AND MY 9MM IN THE OTHER.

THEY WERE JUST STARTING TO RAISE THEIR WEAPONS...

AND I SHOT TWO WITH MY 9MM.

AND I WAS OUT OF AMMUNITION AND

THE THIRD ONE I FIRED AT WITH THE FLARE GUN.

HIT HIM IN THE CHEST WITH PHOSPHOROUS BASICALLY

AND HE JUST CAUGHT FIRE.

- YEAH, THEY WERE ADAMANT TO GET US.

WE KNEW BY THE FEROCITY OF THE ATTACK

THEY MEANT TO GET THAT POSITION.

- AND I'D INSTILLED THIS SPIRIT IN THEM

NOBODY QUITS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO QUIT.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO QUIT, WE'LL FIGHT TO THE END.

IT'S BEEN EIGHT HOURS SINCE THE FIRST ATTACK.

WITH HALF THE CANADIANS WOUNDED AND THE OTHER HALF

FREEZING AND EXHAUSTED, THE CHINESE TARGET

A KEY PIECE OF THE CANADIAN DEFENSE.

- WIRE WAS A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF OUR WARFARE

BECAUSE IT GAVE US ALL SORTS OF PROTECTION

AND WARNING WHEN THE ENEMY WAS COMING IN.

- THEN THEY STARTED MOVING IN PEOPLE

WITH "BANGALORE" TORPEDOES.

THESE ARE LONG METAL PIPES LOADED WITH EXPLOSIVE

BUT THEY USED BAMBOO.

THEY BLEW THE WIRE AND THEY BLEW A GAP ABOUT

A GOOD EIGHT, TEN FEET WIDE AND THEY STORMED IN.

WITH THE WIRE BREACHED,

THERE'S NOTHING TO SLOW DOWN THE NEXT ATTACK.

THE 28 CANADIANS ARE ABOUT TO BE OVERRUN.

THE BATTLE FOR THE SONGGOK SPUR

IS ABOUT TO REACH ITS CLIMAX.

- YEAH, THEY WERE ADAMANT TO GET US.

WE KNEW BY THE FEROCITY OF THE ATTACK

THEY MEANT TO GET THAT POSITION.

AFTER EIGHT HOURS OF INTENSE FIGHTING,

THE CHINESE BLAST THROUGH A WALL OF BARBED WIRE

AND STORM THE CANADIAN LINES.

- THAT'S WHEN YOU'VE GOT USUALLY UP TO ABOUT

300 CHINESE READY TO COME UP TO THE WIRE.

AND THEY BLEW A GAP ABOUT A GOOD EIGHT

TO TEN FEET WIDE AND THEY STORMED IN.

- AND THE BREN GUNNER THERE, EDDIE BAUER,

A LITTLE GUY, A FANTASTIC BREN GUNNER,

HE WAITED FOR THEM TO CROWD INTO THAT HUGE GAP...

AND THEN...

- THEY HAD SO MANY MEN THAT THEY JUST COULD KEEP

COMING AT US AND COMING AT US.

AND THEN YOU SEE THEM COMING YOU SAY,

"OH, THIS IS LIKE SHOOTING PIGEONS," YOU KNOW,

IN A SHOOTING GALLERY.

- I WOULD FILL UP THE ROUNDS AS EDDIE WAS FIRING

AND I ALWAYS HAD TO HAVE TWO OR THREE

MAGAZINES FULL SO HE WOULD NEVER RUN OUT

OR GET CAUGHT SHORT.

THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE THE CHINESE HAD OVER

THE ALLIED TROOPS WAS THE NUMBERS.

THEY COULD MARCH TEN ABREAST

IN FRONT OF SOMEBODY AND EVERY ONE OF THEM DIE

AND YOU'D NEVER COME TO THE END OF THE LINE.

WITH CHINESE TROOPS SWARMING ALL AROUND THEM,

THE CANADIANS CLOSE RANKS TO PROTECT EACH OTHER.

- WHEN YOU'RE FIGHTING IN BATTLE,

YOU'RE FIGHTING SELF-DEFENSE TO PROTECT YOUR OWN LIFE

AND TO BE LOOKING AFTER YOUR AREA OF THE POSITION

BECAUSE IF YOU'RE WEAK AND THEY GOT THROUGH YOU

THEN THE REST OF THE BOYS WOULD BE IN DANGER.

- MEN FIGHT FOR EACH OTHER,

THAT'S WHY HARNEY AND BARRY AND MCLEAN

WERE JUMPING ON CHINESE, WRESTING THEIR RIFLES AWAY

SO THEY WOULDN'T BAYONET THEIR BUDDIES.

THAT'S CARE FOR THE OTHER GUY.

ANOTHER ONE JUMPED ON THE BACK OF ONE OF THEM,

PUSHED HIM TO THE GROUND AND

BASHED HIS HEAD IN WITH A HAND GRENADE.

AND MY MEDICAL ORDERLY, MY STRETCHER BEARER,

JIM SHARP FROM TORONTO,

JIM WAS CRAWLING THROUGH ALL THIS FIRE

AND WAS ATTENDING TO THE WOUNDED, BANDAGING THEM,

GIVING MORPHINE SHOTS TO THE BADLY WOUNDED ONES.

WHERE ELSE DO YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

AND YOU FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU OWE IT,

YOU OWE IT TO THEM.

I SAID, "REMEMBER THIS, GUYS...

NOBODY GOES TILL I GO.

WE ALL GO TOGETHER."

WITH ALMOST HALF THE CANADIANS WOUNDED

AND THEIR POSITION ON THE VERGE OF BEING OVERRUN,

2 PLATOON NEEDS A MIRACLE.

- I CALLED BACK AND SAID, "I CAN'T HOLD THEM.

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, I HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO FIGHT WITH".

I SAID, "I WANT TO BE TARGETED.

I WANT THEM TO SHELL MY POSITION".

IN A BOLD MOVE, HE ORDERS CANADIAN ARTILLERY

TO SHELL HIS EXACT POSITION.

IT'S THE ONLY HOPE TO DRIVE OFF THE CHINESE ATTACK.

THE ONLY PROBLEM IS MASTRONARDI'S OWN MEN

WILL ALSO BE IN THE FIRING LINE.

- HE SAID, "DON'T YOU THINK YOU COULD WITHDRAW"?

I SAID, "I WILL NOT LEAVE WITHOUT MY WOUNDED".

DETERMINED TO GET HIS MEN OUT,

MASTRONARDI COMES UP WITH A DARING ESCAPE PLAN.

- I SAID, "COULD YOU BOX ME OUT WITH ARTILLERY"?

HE SAID, "YES, I'LL BOX YOU OUT WITH ARTILLERY"

AND I SAID, "THANK GOD FOR THAT".

A BOX BARRAGE CALLS FOR ARTILLERY TO DROP

A CURTAIN OF FIRE AROUND THE MEN ON THREE SIDES.

IF IT WORKS, THE CANADIANS SHOULD

BE ABLE TO WITHDRAW TO THE REAR,

WHILE THE ENEMY IS PREVENTED FROM ADVANCING.

WHILE THE REST OF THE MEN PREPARE THE ESCAPE,

MASTRONARDI ORDERS PRIVATES BAKER AND CAMPEAU

TO HOLD THE LINE.

- CAMPEAU WAS SUPPORTING BAKER

AS HIS NUMBER TWO LOADING HIS BREN MAGS.

THEY WERE TRYING TO KEEP THE CHINESE AT BAY

WHILE THE WOUNDED WERE BEING FORMED INTO A GROUP,

WHICH TAKES A BIT OF TIME, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN INSTANTLY.

BAKER AND CAMPEAU FIGHT FURIOUSLY

BUT THE CHINESE ARE TOO CLOSE.

THE BATTLE OF THE SONGGOK SPUR HAS BEEN

RAGING FOR MORE THAN TEN HOURS.

AND THE 28 CANADIAN DEFENDERS ARE ABOUT TO BE

OVERWHELMED BY HUNDREDS OF CHINESE ATTACKERS.

- I SAID, "I CAN'T HOLD THEM, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE,

I HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO FIGHT WITH".

EXHAUSTED AND ABOUT TO BE OVERRUN,

LT. ED MASTRONARDI HATCHES A BOLD ESCAPE PLAN.

- I SAID, "COULD YOU BOX ME OUT WITH ARTILLERY"?

HE GOES, "YES, I'LL BOX YOU OUT WITH ARTILLERY".

TO COVER THEIR RETREAT, TWO MEN -

PRIVATES CAMPEAU AND BAKER - MUST STAY BEHIND

AND LAY DOWN COVERING FIRE

UNTIL THE LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT.

- CAMPEAU WAS SUPPORTING BAKER AS HIS NUMBER TWO

LOADING HIS BREN MAGS.

THEY WERE TRYING TO KEEP THE CHINESE AT BAY

WHILE THE WOUNDED WERE BEING FORMED INTO A GROUP

WHICH TAKES A BIT OF TIME, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN INSTANTLY.

THAT'S WHEN THIS CHINESE COME UP THE SIDE OF THE HILL

AND SPOTTED BAKER AND CAMPEAU.

CAMPEAU TOOK THE FULL BLAST.

DIED WITH HIS RIFLE IN HIS HANDS.

DIED FIGHTING.

HE MISSED BAKER BUT BAKER DIDN'T MISS HIM.

BAKER KNEW CAMPEAU WAS DEAD

AND HEARD MY SHOUTING AND THEN CAME TO JOIN ME.

THEN I CALLED DOWN THE ARTILLERY

RIGHT ON THE POSITION.

BY THIS TIME THEY HAD GOT THE BRITISH REGIMENTAL

ARTILLERY IN, AND THE NEW ZEALAND.

SO WE HAD ALL DIVISIONAL ARTILLERY FIRING,

72 GUNS - YOU CAN IMAGINE.

OH, FANTASTIC.

AND IT WAS ABOUT I GUESS 50, 60 YARDS

ON EACH SIDE AND ABOUT MAYBE

50, 70 YARDS TO OUR FRONT.

AND YOU COULD JUST SEE IT COMING IN.

AS I MOVED BACK I'D SAY, "DROP 50, DROP 50".

THE TRICK WAS GAUGING 50 YARDS.

AND WE GOT BACK INTO THE MAIN POSITION,

THEY GOT US THROUGH, I SAID, "OKAY, WE'RE CLEAR"

AND THEN THEY SATURATED THE POSITION.

THE MASSIVE ARTILLERY STRIKE

HALTS THE CHINESE ATTACK,

BUT IN THE CONFUSION OF THE RETREAT,

PRIVATE RED BUTLER GETS CAUGHT IN THE BOMBARDMENT.

- IT WAS VICIOUS

AND IT'S A WONDER ANY OF THEM COULD STAND IT.

WITH DAYLIGHT APPROACHING,

BUTLER MOVES TOWARDS SAFETY,

BUT THERE'S ENEMY ALL AROUND.

- AND JUST AT THIS TIME, I HEARD BEHIND ME PA-PA-PA,

SOME KIND OF NOISE, I TURNED AROUND QUICK WITH MY RIFLE

AND HERE IT IS SPORT, OUR MASCOT,

AND HE LOOKS UP AT ME AND, "MMM, MMM, MMM,"

HE'S JUST AS SCARED AS I WAS,

DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO OR ANYTHING.

SO I SAYS, "COME ON, SPORT.

WE GOT TO GET BACK TO THE MAIN LINE".

AND WE'RE WALKING THE TRAIL AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,

I HEAR SPORT GOING... "GRR".

AND I SAYS, "WHAT'S THE MATTER?"

AND I LOOK WHERE HE'S LOOKING AND HERE'S A CHINESE.

AND HIS HAND IS REACHING TOWARDS HIS RICE BAG,

AND WE WERE TOLD AHEAD OF TIME THAT THE CHINESE

KEEP THEIR HAND GRENADES IN THE RICE BAG.

ANYWAY, I SAYS, "ENOUGH OF THIS,"

PULL THE TRIGGER ON THE GUN - CLICK.

NO FIRING AND I KNOW THERE'S A CARTRIDGE THERE.

ANYWAY, I SAYS, "I CAN OUTRUN A HAND GRENADE."

AND SO I RUN AND I COULD HEAR BOOM BEHIND ME.

IN THE COLD LIGHT OF DAWN,

RED BUTLER MAKES IT TO SAFETY.

THE BATTLE OF THE SONGGOK SPUR IS OVER.

LATER THAT MORNING, A SMALL GROUP OF MEN

FROM 2 PLATOON RETURN TO THE SPUR TO RETRIEVE

THE BODY OF THEIR FALLEN COMRADE, JO CAMPEAU.

- HE WAS HUNCHED OVER WITH HIS RIFLE IN HIS HAND.

WE LAID HIM OUT, WRAPPED HIM IN A PONCHO,

PUT HIM ON A STRETCHER AND WE CARRIED HIM BACK,

MY MEN.

- I WENT BACK TO MY COMMAND POST

AND SAW THE THREE BODIES OF THE CHINESE

I HAD SHOT DURING THE NIGHT.

I WENT THROUGH THE POCKETS OF ONE OF THEM.

THEY CARRIED RED COVERED DIARIES WITH THEM

AND IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE

IT WAS A BIT HEARTBREAKING...

THIS INDIVIDUAL HAD MADE LITTLE SKETCHES

OF WHERE HE HAD BEEN.

HE MUST HAVE BEEN A VERY SENSITIVE PERSON.

AND HE HAD THIS PICTURE.

I'M ASSUMING HE'S ONE OF THESE TWO,

I COULDN'T POSSIBLY TELL YOU WHICH ONE.

NOT THAT DIFFERENT FROM US.

I KEEP IT JUST TO REMIND ME

THERE'S TWO SIDES TO THE WAR.

I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED WHO HE WAS,

WHAT HIS LIFE WAS, FAMILY...

AND I KILLED HIM.

THE BATTLE OF THE SONGGOK SPUR

CLAIMS SCORES OF CHINESE DEAD AND WOUNDED.

OF THE 28 DEFENDERS,

HALF ARE WOUNDED AND ONE IS KILLED.

AGAINST THE ODDS, THE CANADIANS HELD THE LINE.

- WE NEVER THOUGHT OF US AT THE TIME AS BEING HEROES,

BUT NOW ON REFLECTION I THINK, YEAH,

I THINK WE DID SOME HEROIC THINGS THEN.

BUT I DON'T THINK WE WERE ANY BRAVER

THAN A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE IN THE MILITARY.

- THOSE MEN WERE FANTASTIC.

AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE AND I'M REPEATING IT:

28 HEROES I HAD THE PRIVILEGE AND HONOUR

TO COMMAND THEM.

AND EVERY 2ND OF NOVEMBER, MY BIRTHDAY,

I DRINK A TOAST BY MYSELF TO THE FLYING DEUCES...

THE FLYING DEUCES, YEAH.