A Prince George veteran of the Korean War is among 100,000 of his surviving comrades
from around world to receive a letter of appreciation from the president of South Korea.
Lee Myung-bak recently sent the ceremonial correspondance to Dr. Dan Kelly, who served as a private in the Canadian Forces during the war, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Cold War conflict that lasted from 1950-1953 and claimed 516 Canadian lives.
"We honor your selfless sacrifice in fighting tyranny and aggression," reads the letter. "We salute your courage in enduring the unimaginable horrors of war. We pay tribute to your commitment in protecting liberty and freedom."
Kelly, who drove supply trucks supporting United Nations and South Korean forces pitted in a civil war against the communist forces of North Korea, China and the Soviet Union, laughed that, at first, he thought the letter was some sort of promotion.
"I thought it was phoney, junk," he said. "Now I'm very impressed."
For more, see the Citizen.
