Vincent Courtenay
Vincent Courtenay: A Letter to My Grandchildren
Vincent Courtenay is a Korean War Veteran who has been at the centre of key projects and achievements on behalf of the veterans. The letter below is about the Korean War Memorial (“Monument to the Canadian Fallen”) which stands today in Confederation Park in Ottawa.
Veteran Vincent R. Courtenay
Vincent R. Courtenay
Dear Amaris, Elle, Tistan, Jad, Jayden (I think in chronological order by age, with the ladies first),
This morning I found on the Internet this interesting video made by CBC television. The event took place in December, 2002 – so fully 14 years have passed. (The link here takes you to it,)
It focuses on the Monument to Canadian Fallen, which I raised funds for, designed and even helped to sculpt while living in Korea with Mak-ye.
After we returned to Canada we had the monument shipped to Windsor in pieces. We flew the Korean sculptor, Yoo Young Mun to Windsor to assemble it.
The monument stayed in Windsor a few months, then was transferred to Canada’s capital city of Ottawa.
A large dedication and consecration ceremony was held in Confederation Park in Ottawa, with roughly 1,000 Korean War veterans from across Canada participating. I arranged for them to march in units behind their regimental of naval or air force flags. Prime Minister Jean Chretien officiated for the entire two-hour program.
The CBC telecast it live all across Canada – a 2-hour live news production.
Mak-ye was astonished when she saw herself in the production that I located today. She laughed for a long time, but I think was very glad to see it.
One of the veterans who speaks about what the monument means to him, Lang Shuker, has since passed away. Others who were there that day at the Windsor unveiling also are gone.
Please note that at the close, one of the veterans is shown in closeup and a tear is running down his cheek.
Today that monument stands in its own park in Ottawa across from Canada’s National Arts Centre.
The companion monument is located in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan, Korea.
Love to you all,
Your Grandfather
Another video about the monument.