LITTLE CURRENT – At a recent War Pensioners of Canada (WPC) meeting, area members had the chance to honour one of their own, Korean War veteran Red Butler as a special member, recognizing his service to the Commonwealth.
WPC members Wayne Golden and Colin Pick shared with The Expositor that they felt that Mr. Butler has not received the recognition he most sorely deserved.
As has been reported previously by this newspaper, Mr. Butler was lucky to have survived the Korean War. In fact, so sure was his unit of his demise, a telegram had been sent to his loved ones announcing his death.
“There were about 28 of us on the outpost when we were overrun,” Mr. Butler told The Expositor in a 2013 article. “I got caught between the lines.”
Mr. Butler was part of the 2nd platoon A company of the 2nd Royal Canadian Regiment which fought to hold the ‘Songgok’ outpost from repeated Communist attacks. With only 28 men, Mr. Butler and the rest of the platoon managed to hold out for 10 hours against hundreds of Chinese attackers and thwart a major communist offensive.
“Mr. Butler had laid down covering fire from his Bren gun emplacement to allow his teammate on the gun to escape,” The Expositor article states. “When the other soldier looked back, it was just in time to see several grenades explode in front of Mr. Butler’s position.”
“The grenades landed against the sandbags in front of me and I got blown back. The next day, when light broke and they pulled back, I made my way back to our lines,” Mr. Butler said. “I stayed through the night playing possum.”
When Mr. Butler wandered into the kitchen back at the base, he created quite a sensation, the article continues. “The gunner was there and his jaw just dropped,” he said. “The guy said to me, ‘I just reported you killed in action’.”
Mr. Butler did not get off unscathed, although his wounds were not fatal by any means. “I got something on by backside,” he said. “Some minor shrapnel, nothing that would stop me.”
“In Korea, Red was left to protect the withdrawal of his platoon,” WPC member Wayne Golden told The Expositor. “A Chinese grenade went off after he was left to hold the line when the Chinese attacked. When the grenade went off it stunned him; he was left for dead. The ‘Brenner’ who left him there was decorated, but Red wasn’t.”
Following the retreat, 28 were left alive, Mr. Butler being one of them, WPC President Colin Pick added. “We wanted to see that Red was acknowledged in some way.”
During a special ceremony at Elliot’s Restaurant in Little Current for Mr. Butler, a British Commonwealth veteran service star was pinned to Mr. Butler’s chest—a commemorative medal struck to recognize veterans’ service within any British and Commonwealth forces.
