Gerry Houle
Gerry Houle: A Korean War Veteran
Gerry Houle on the left with his brother holding rifles in Korea during the war – circa early 1952.
Photo in the bunker – Gerry Houle (to the left of the rifle), along with others in his unit in early 1952 during the Korean War. Just over the hill beyond the bunker is North Korea.
Edward and I joined the army May 6, 1951. Our brother Robert was an RCR and was transferred to Korea around the same time.
Edward and I joined the Princess Patricia light infantry in Calgary and done the basic training in that area. They were transferred to wainwright Alberta for advance training.
After training we were transferred back to Calgary first PPCLI. We were preparing to go to South Korea (ex. Needles, and check your health records). Boarded a train and went Seattle, Washington. Boarded ship October 20, 1951 and landed Yokohama, Japan after being thirteen days on the ocean.
On the ship overnight and boarded a train to go to Sasubo, Japan. On the way there the train stop in Hiroshima for about twenty minutes and then continued to Sasubo, Japan.
In Sasubo, we boarded a smaller ship which departed to Busan, Korea. From there were were brought north to “B” echelon and then proceeded to march to the front line to replace the second bethalon (sic). We had to build many more bunkers and trenches for the individual. We were two individuals in the trenches from dust to daylight.
Gerry Houle (left), a fellow Canadian soldier, and Lance Corporal Higgins who was killed in Korea during the Korean War.
My Lt. Corporal JC Higgins and a friend Marcel Dubcek were a scooting patrol. There was 21 of them and 7 of them were killed and several injured. Higgins and Dubcek were among the 7 that were killed.
The senior officer came to me and wanted us to leave the front lines. They suggest that I went NCO (non-commissioned officer) school or driving. Therefore I chose driving. It was all blackout driving and no guardrails and very steep embankment the only lighting we had on the vehicle were about one inch to half an inch slot.
I was in the frontline seven months; when driving there was one hill that we had to go over which was camouflaged and the enemy fired mortar and rotatories at the sound of the vehicle.
They only let us go over the hill staggering so they would not know of the scheduled time to cross.
Edward Houle (left), Ray St. Jacques and Gerry Houle (right), serving together in Korea during the Korean War in 1952.
The next thing that happened to us is we boarded a plane from Seoul to Tokyo Japan for 5 days for rest and recuperation.
When we left Korea to go back to Canada we stopped in Kure, Japan for a week we went on a small boat to an island where the Japanese suicide pilot were able to entertain themselves until on their flights. It was very beautiful island and there was everything there to entertain themselves.
From Yokohama on ship back to Canada. Arrived in Seattle, Washington December 4, 1952 and then train back to Calgary. From there we went on home leave 66 days. And back to Calgary. From there I went on jump course at rivers and Shilo Manitoba after 5 jumps I qualified as a jumper. From there I went to Fort Churchill in Manitoba for six weeks over snow vehicle training them back to Calgary. From there we went up in the Yukon 156 miles west of Yellowknife we were there for two months to find out how good the snow vehicles were. We went everywhere with them.
Then I went to Kingston for discharge May 6, 1954.
Gerry Houle
July 28, 2017
KVA Unit 19 – Sudbury
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Gerry Houle KCS 150 Story Signed Copy
Gerry Houle’s Photo Gallery
