Don Jatiouk signed up for the RCN in November 1949 when he was 18 years old. Just after Christmas in 1951, he headed off to the Korean War on HMCS Nootka and was stationed on the island of Kyushu at a sea base called Sasebo.  The role of his ship was to do anti-submarine patrol off the coast of  Korea.

"We never actually had trouble with enemy submarines," he says. "But every three months or so, the Chinese would threaten submarine warfare. But they never did it."

"Our first patrol was mid-February in extreme ice conditions and extreme cold. Our first effort was patrolling for one of the British aircraft carriers.They were raiding the North Korean battle lines all through that period. At night we would be sent to protect friendly-held islands on the west coast of Korea.

"A few times we caught the North Koreans trying to take this one island, Chodo. We would shoot at them until they all fell."  Later Jatiouk was moved to the east coast, where his ship was part of the U.S. military task force. That brought him closer to the firing line where North Koreans and allied troops were fighting it out. "The North Koreans supplied their troops with food, military supplies, etc. using railway lines. And their railway lines ran along the open shore. Our job was to disrupt those supply lines.

"On one occasion we were in picking our way along the coast, blowing up whatever we could, hoping to get close to bridges. I suppose we were within range, about five or six miles offshore. "First thing we knew we were in a constant barrage, and absolutely surrounded with shells coming in from all directions. We knew instantly that we weren't facing ordinary North Korean army gunners, but big Chinese guns. I happened to be coming up from a radar shack on the ship, and going up to my position on the operations room. I went out on the deck. And the first shell landed just a few feet away. One shell burst right over the smokestack and set it on fire. But we were lucky.
We only had one minor casualty."

Usually the patrols lasted about 10 to 15 days. On time, however, the relief ship broke down and his ship ended up on patrol for 21 days. Jatiouk and his fellow crew members were in action about eight times. His ship, the Nootka, was the only Allied naval ship ever to capture a North Korean naval ship.

"It was early August 1952. I was on the middle watch and I was in the operations room on the radar. I picked up an unidentified blip. I couldn't figure out exactly what it was. We pulled up to action stations. Our sea boat went out with armed personnel on board. We captured four or five North Koreans and shot the captain.

"When we brought in the American minesweeper the next day, we discovered that the small North Korean boat had laid three mines. So we were lucky because we could have triggered one of those mines and it would have blown us to kingdom come."

Jatiouk served in Korea until Christmas 1952. He stayed in the navy for five years, becoming a radar technician, second class.

Advice for young people:  "It is necessary for people in the free world to protect that freedom, even at the risk of losing your own life. Just think what would have happened if Nazi Germany had won World War Two. You would never  have had your rights to self expression.

"The same with the communists – you would never have the lifestyle you have today if they had won. And that's why we were there. That's why we fought. "

[Don's photo was taken 2001. Story and photo courtesy Canadian Broadcasting Company: http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/generations/don.html]