Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today in advance of Veterans’ Week and Remembrance Day to pay tribute to those men and women who donned the uniform of this great nation, and at Her command went forth to defend those who could no longer defend themselves and to fight for the very freedoms that we enjoy today.

Recently, I was struck by a very powerful image: That of the lone regimental banner of The Royal Canadian Regiment, or RCR, standing, torn and dusty on Hill 355, on the morning of October 23, 1952. B Company of the RCR had just spent the night being pummelled by Chinese artillery and probed by assault troops. So chaotic was the engagement that the Canadians were forced to regroup into small units, cut off from their comrades.

That regimental banner, like the heroes of Hill 355, was battered and torn but not broken. It stood as a reminder of the commitment and resolve of our men and women in uniform who stood tall in the face of adversity, said “Not today” and, through grit and determination, won through.

The image of that banner is a haunting symbol of not only the sacrifices and tribulations our veterans faced in such places as the ridge at Vimy, the ruins of Passchendaele, the beaches in Normandy, the valley and hills at Gapyeong or the grape fields of Kandahar — but also a symbol of the people they came to save and protect.

Like that fluttering and tarnished banner, the South Korean people, too, were worn out, sullied, alone and without hope when nations like Canada answered. Over 26,000 would volunteer to serve in the Korean War, and they, along with their UN allies, ensured that South Koreans, like my family, would have a future free of Communist oppression.

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We can never repay the debt we owe to our veterans. All we can do is dedicate our lives to living in their example, and honour their sacrifices through participating in and protecting those precious rights and freedoms won through their actions. Honourable senators, we will remember them.

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today to commemorate the historic seventieth anniversary of the Battle of Hill 355 that took place from October 22 to 24, 1952, during the Korean War for the Royal Canadian Regiment, or RCR.

The 1st Battalion of the RCR became engaged in one of the hardest-fought battles in regimental history. Hill 355, christened by the Americans as “Little Gibraltar,” would become Canada’s second-bloodiest battle of the Korean War.

The 1RCR had been under fire for the better part of a month when, on October 22, the Chinese bombardment intensified, with a total of 44 and a half tons of artillery and mortar shells falling on Canadian positions.

During the first night, B Company’s position had been pummelled so hard that the area had become unrecognizable to the dazed and confused Canadian defenders. Whipping in the breeze, their regimental banner, ripped by shell fragments and grimy from dirt and dust, was their only assurance they were still at their position.

The battle would intensify with continued shelling, and wave after wave of Chinese assault troops pouring through smashed defensive lines and abandoned trenches. These savage attacks forced the remaining Canadians to break up into smaller groups, becoming surrounded and cut off from their comrades at various times throughout the night.

When the shelling ceased, it became apparent to the commanders that B Company had been ripped to shreds and was no longer a cohesive force. Slipping away, Hill 355 fell into Chinese hands, but that would last but a moment. Once the Canadians were off the hill, UN mortar and artillery batteries opened up on Hill 355 in coordination with assaults from D and E Companies.

At first, D Company was repulsed by the Chinese defenders, but they stood resolute in their resolve to win back what B Company had fought so hard to keep, and, by 03:31 hours, the hill had been restored to Canadian hands.

Since 1883, the Royal Canadian Regiment has made countless sacrifices, and lost many of its own over its 139 years of service. They fought in horrendous conditions, day and night, in foreign lands, and, despite the odds often placed against them, they persevered and never gave up.

Honourable senators, please join me in recognizing the seventieth anniversary of the Battle of Hill 355 for the RCR. Today and always, let us remember the bravery and the sacrifices of all veterans of the Korean War and other wars, and let us honour our brave men and women in uniform, from all regiments, who serve Canada with pride and distinction.

To our fallen heroes who never returned home — who paid the ultimate price of freedom with their lives — we vow to never forget. We will remember them.