May 22, 2010

Heart Surgery; a path taken boldly -accolade to 83-year old veteran

The Toronto Sun column reprinted below is about heart surgery for a man inhis ‘80’s. It is about hope, and above all about bravery. Its author wouldshrink from the last designation and perhaps modify it to ‘curious,’ or ‘audacious.’ But bravery is more than correct. Peter Worthington is a Korean War Veteran who had planned to revisit Koreain April this year as a member of the Canadian revisit group. He was going totake his wife Yvonne along as his caregiver and also show her the country hehad fought in nearly 60 years ago.He planned to do this even though he was scheduled to undergo heartsurgery just six weeks before the departure date. What changed his mind wasthe thought of sitting with post operative pain in his chest and shoulders ineconomy seating. He toyed with buying himself business class tickets, whichwould mean putting out $12,000 of his own funds. Finally, he figured it wouldput too much stress on Yvonne, not himself, and that he better give up hiseconomy class seat to another veteran – which he did.

He did not know it, but I first met Peter Worthington in 1952 when indark night he came onto a feature in Korea known as the Hook, or Hill 121. He was carrying a submachine gun.Worthington before boarding plane in Vancouver to fly to Korea as journalist reporting on the 2003 Veterans Affairs Canada Pilgrimage toKorea for the 50th anniversary of the July 27 armistice that ended thewar . He had revisited once before in 2000, as a distinguished guestof President Kim Dae-jung.My company was attached to the British Black Watch after two of itscompanies had sustained massive casualties in an enemy attack.He was a lieutenant and I was an acting lance corporal and if there isany lower position of command in the Canadian Army I don’t knowwhat it can possibly be.I could barely make out his face in light from flares until I nearlybumped into him. “Hi,” I said. “Hi,” he said back, grinning. I had justbeen debriefed after returning from a deep patrol. I went to my smallteam on the furthest finger of the Hook which ran into an enemy-heldfeature called the Ronson. He headed off toward a very hotobservation post that faced out toward a feature called the Warsaw ,which was a patrol area a day before but which the enemy hadoccupied.Three weeks later, I spent a terrible half hour under machinegun firedelivered from a couple of concealed weapons that were between meand the Vegas outpost. I had been assigned a Browning mediummachine gun to cover Worthington ’s fighting patrol in the event it hadto withdraw under fire. He had a whole platoon out there and they wereshooting up an enemy position while a team of the enemy was tryingto shoot me and my lone comrade.

He did not know it, but I first met Peter Worthington in 1952 when in dark night hecame onto a feature in Korea known as theHook, or Hill 121. He was carrying asubmachine gun.Worthington before boarding plane inVancouver to fly to Korea as journalistreporting on the 2003 Veterans AffairsCanada Pilgrimage to Korea for the 50thanniversary of the July 27 armistice thatended the war . He had revisited oncebefore in 2000, as a distinguished guest of President Kim Dae-jung.My company was attached to the BritishBlack Watch after two of its companies hadsustained massive casualties in an enemyattack.He was a lieutenant and I was an actinglance corporal and if there is any lower position of command in the Canadian ArmyI don’t know what it can possibly be.I could barely make out his face in light from flares until I nearly bumped intohim. “Hi,” I said. “Hi,” he said back, grinning. I had just been debriefed after returning from a deep patrol. I went to my small team on the furthest finger of the Hook which ran into an enemy-held feature called the Ronson. Heheaded off toward a very hot observation post that faced out toward a featurecalled the Warsaw , which was a patrol area a day before but which theenemy had occupied.Three weeks later, I spent a terrible half hour under machinegun fire deliveredfrom a couple of concealed weapons that were between me and the Vegasoutpost. I had been assigned a Browning medium machine gun to cover Worthington ’s fighting patrol in the event it had to withdraw under fire. Hehad a whole platoon out there and they were shooting up an enemy positionwhile a team of the enemy was trying to shoot me and my lone comrade.