Alphonse Martel
The following is from Intergenerational Integrities 2021 Anthology. Intergenerational Integrities involves 18 like-minded, passionate secondary students of British Columbia and Alberta who share a common love for writing, history and learning. Their purpose is to connect youth and seniors, especially during the Covid-19 global pandemic, where many have been physically and socially isolated. For this initiative, each student has been paired with a veteran of the Korean War.
Alphonse Martel arrived in Seoul in the fall of 1952, as reinforcement for the 1st Battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment. He is the Secretary Treasurer of the Korea Veterans Association (KVA) of Canada Heritage Unit and President of Unit 55 of the KVA in Rosemont, Quebec. Mr. Martel is also a member of a variety of other Veterans associations, including The Royal Canadian Legion, the Royal 22e Régiment Association and the Amicale des vétérans de Terrebonne. Through these associations, he participates in activities such as dinners and social events that promote the well-being of Veterans.
Amy Yin is 15 years old and a grade 11 student at Dr. Charles Best Secondary School in Coquitlam, BC. Some of her hobbies include playing the flute, baking, and hiking. She decided to participate in this initiative because she loves writing and she wanted to hear first-hand stories and experiences. The Korean War is known as the “forgotten war”, and she thought it was very important for the veterans to have a chance to share their stories. They deserve to be recognized for serving on the frontlines on behalf of our country. She is honored to have had the opportunity to connect with Mr. Martel and learn about his experiences, and to be able to share them with future generations to come.
Short Story: First Experiences
By Amy Yin
After a few weeks, it’s time for you to rotate back onto the frontlines for another month. It’s winter, so you make sure to be careful as the conditions are cold and wet. It’s extremely dark outside, so you cover yourself with black paste before leaving your shelter. You grab your rifle and make your way down the mountain when a loud, screeching noise fills your ears. Suddenly, you notice a shadowy object fly over your head. Trembling, you immediately lay flat on your stomach and seek cover in the dugout. As the shell explodes, you feel a cold shock run through your veins as the ground leaps and fumbles beneath your body.
You’ve never experienced an exploding shell. Frightened and in disbelief, you try your best to block out the muffled voices around you, but before you know it, the sounds fade away. Just like that, it was over. You made it through.
“Don’t worry,” you hear a fellow soldier whisper, “when you hear that sound, it means it’s already gone by. The worst part is over.”
As scared as you were, you didn’t think about going back. You were told to never question your duties and always obey sergeant-major’s direct orders. Wobbling, you slowly get back on your feet. At the same time, you hear the same ear-splitting noise as another shell shoots across the sky. This time, you didn’t throw yourself to the ground right away. You knew it wouldn’t come anywhere near you.
You finally begin to understand why they say that even though you are trained, you are never trained enough. The only way you learn and get stronger is to grow from your past experiences. You tell yourself that you need to get used to this, as you will go through many more explosions like this one. You need to stay strong to fight for your country. This is only the start of a lifelong journey.