Jun 25, 2010

“The morning that 90,000 troops of the People's Army of North Korea crossed the 38th Parallel to invade South Korea -- June 25, 1950 -- Don Hibbs was driving the first of his nighttime cab customers across town in Galt, Ont. If he'd turned on his car radio, Hibbs might also have heard that the five-year-old United Nations Security Council was then considering a resolution to ‘furnish assistance to [South Korea] to repel the armed attack and restore international peace and security in the area.’ The resolution amounted to a declaration of war between the Koreas. And it changed Don Hibbs' life.

The 20-year-old had discovered early on that he had more talent on a pair of skates than in a classroom. After bouncing around amateur hockey leagues with no prospect of a pro career, however, he settled for driving fares for the Seven-Eleven Cab Company in Galt. Then on Aug. 7, 1950, the night prime minister Louis St. Laurent announced Canada would send a special force to Korea, Hibbs jumped at the opportunity.

‘I didn't have a clue about Korea,’ Hibbs admitted. ‘All I knew was I'd missed out on the Second World War. And I wanted to be a soldier, you know, pulling pins out of grenades with my teeth, like I'd seen in those John Wayne war movies ... I thought it'd be great to be a real soldier. I wanted to be a hero.’

To read the full article, follow the link below.
(Source: “Memorable but forgotten” by Ted Barris, National Post, July 25, 2010.)

The 60th Anniversary Edition of Ted Barris’ DEADLOCK IN KOREA is now available in bookstores