The Canadian Destroyers that served in Korea Monument is dedicated to the memory of naval ships and sailors who served during the Korean War, and is inscribed with their names. Andy Barber and Ron Kirk, Navy veterans of the Korean War, spearheaded the four year effort to create a lasting memorial for the naval efforts in the Korean conflict. Veterans and community groups raise $80,000 and saw the idea through to fruition, with funding partly through the government’s Community War Memorial Program. Defence Minsiter Bob Nicholson, Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino, Colonel Choi Jang Min, Republic of Korea’s Defence Attaché, Deputy Speaker, National Assembly of Republic of Korea Jeong Kab Yoon, as well as several Canadian Korean War veterans, attended the unveiling on July 28, 2014. The ceremony in Spencer Smith Park on Burlington’s waterfront marked the 61st anniversary of the armistice to end the Korean war.
Memorialized on the wall are 8 destroyers that served in the waters off Korea from 1950 to 1955. Many of the 9 sailors who lost their lives, were lost at sea or buried in Korea – their families never had a place to mourn in Canada. Over 3,600 sailors served in the region during times of war and peace. A total of 516 Canadians lost their lives to defend the democratic rights of what is known today as the Republic of Korea.
The Royal Canadian Naval Ships Memorial Monument is also located here.