| Brampton, Ontario The idea of a Wall of
Remembrance came about when two members of Unit
57 of K.V.A. were gathering information about a
Comrade who had been killed in Korea. As well as
a request from a member of the family
to obtain a picture of the comrades' grave
in Pusan. The family was more than delighted to
obtain a picture and it was then that the
President, Mr Bill Allan, came up with the
concept of a Wall of Remembrance. He then
solicited the support of the Secretary of the
Unit and Past President George Mannion and all
the members of Unit 57, and between them, they
developed the plan, initiating meetings between
the Corporation of Meadowvale Cemeteries and
several Government agencies to build the Wall of
Remembrance.
The following is a list of detailed
information in respect to the wall:
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- The "Wall of
Remembrance" was
constructed of gray Barre
granite, which matched the
existing Veterans' Memorial.
- Approximately 200 feet in length,
the Wall curves gently to follow
the roadway which circles around
the Veterans' Memorial.
- A low-profile retaining wall
approximately two feet high, the
Wall follows the natural
topography which slopes gently
towards the roadway. The Wall
leans backwards at an angle of
approximately 50 degrees.
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| Constructed in memory of
the 516 Canadians who paid the supreme
sacrifice in the Korean War 1950 - 1953 -
1956. |
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- The central feature of the Wall
consists of three panels: a
rectangular block flanked by two
wings which slope down from the
centre. They are four feet wide
and approximately five feet high
at the highest point.
- The rectangular block in the
centre features the Korean
Veterans, Association insignia,
the Canadian forces insignia, the
United Nations insignia, and the
names of the participating
Canadian forces. On the one wing
is a poem by Jack LaChance, on
the other, a verse from Laurence
Binyon's famous poem "For
the Fallen", information
relating to the dedication of the
memorial, and the names of the
organizing committee responsible
for getting this project off the
ground.
- The memorial, itself, consists of
seven sections on each side of
the central feature. Each section
contains four rows of 6" x
10" bronze plaques, which
are replicas of those gracing the
graves of the comrades in Pusan.
- Meadowvale Cemetery has surveyed
graves in front of the Wall, and
these are available for purchase
by Korean Veterans.
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All funds were raised by the
committee from the private sector. No government
participation. $300,000.00 was raised, the Wall
paid for, and will be kept up by Meadowvale
Cemetery as a part of commemorative services
until perpetuity.
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