Veterans commemorate 65 years since Korean War armistice

The sounds of God Save the Queen echoed throughout the Veterans Memorial Building in Halifax Friday, as veterans and family gathered to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean War.

The ceremony has particular significance, as earlier this year the leaders of North and South Korea finally agreed to officially end the war.

Although the armistice was signed in 1953, peace was never declared, so the countries hadofficially remained at war ever since. The leaders will meet again in the fall to attempt to reach a peace agreement.

Harry Suto was one of the Canadian veterans at the ceremony Friday. He retired as a lieutenant in the navy, and was in Korea in 1953 as the armistice was signed.

"My biggest emotional memory is when we landed our ship's boat to a small village or villages in South Korea and we took apples, oranges, gum, fruit, chocolate bars, toothpaste and we went to a village where there were no men 20 years of age or older. They were all off at the war."

More than 26,000 Canadians served in the Korean War during the three-year conflict, and516 of them were killed.

Suto said after the armistice was signed, he remained in South Korea as part of the post-armistice peace effort.

"They saw the oranges, the bananas, the apples, they were very happy and they split it and they had a good time."

The invitation to Friday's ceremony leaves Suto feeling ambivalent.

"There's all those memories that come back today," he said. "Happy and yet at the same time rather sad [for] all the Canadians that are still there."

But the leaders agreeing to peace talks brings hope for Suto.

"It's about time. Now the families that haven't seen each other can now once again cross the border and be with their families."

For his fellow veterans, he has this message: "We live in a wonderful country, Canada. We were there to help the Koreans and I think we did a good job."