Seventy years had passed since Ieuan Gilmore last saw the South Korean hills he patrolled as a young man, on guard against an enemy who watched and waited as he did for them.

At the time the hills were brown and barren, scarred by explosions and lifeless. The only Koreans who Gilmore encountered were destitute children or old farmers in rice fields. The adults had vanished.

Thatsa国际传媒檚 how Gilmore left the country in 1955, just two years after the Korean War ended. He never thought he would return, because there was nothing to return to.

sa国际传媒淓very village that we would move through was destroyed,sa国际传媒� he says now. sa国际传媒淓very single one, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of villages were just gone, and many of the cities were gone.sa国际传媒�

Canada sent 26,791 military personnel to fight in the Korean War as part of the United Nations force. The conflict killed 516 Canadians, while 1,235 were wounded or declared missing in action. More than 2.7 million civilians died during the three-year war.

Gilmore grew up in Kamloops with family in the military. His uncle had been killed fighting in the First World War. His older brother served in Italy during the Second World War and survived, but was unrecognizable when he returned.

sa国际传媒淗e was a skeleton. He had malaria and double pneumonia. So my thoughts of war were not really all that exciting.sa国际传媒�

But out of a sense of civic duty, Gilmore signed up when he was just 16.

He was training with the Queensa国际传媒檚 Own Rifles of Canada in Ontario when the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, and therefore never saw any action. But in 1954, at the age of 23, Gilmore was deployed as a peacekeeper with the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group. He served as a platoon leader in charge of 30 men who were assigned to guard the then-new demilitarized zone.

Every day, the soldiers wondered if hostilities might resume. There wasnsa国际传媒檛 much reason to believe peace would last.

sa国际传媒淲e expected at any time there might be action. Nobody knew. It was still very tenuous.sa国际传媒�

The armistice held, and Gilmoresa国际传媒檚 time in South Korea was without incident. When he returned to Canada in 1955 Gilmore finished his time with the military and moved on with his life. He got a job, became a husband and father, and lived in peace.

Decades passed. Now 94 years old and in Nelson, Gilmore received an unexpected email in January from the Republic of Koreasa国际传媒檚 consulate office in Vancouver.

The country was marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice that ended its conflict with North Korea sa国际传媒� the war is technically still ongoing as no peace treaty was ever signed sa国际传媒� and veterans from 22 countries were being invited back by Koreasa国际传媒檚 Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

Only 12 Canadian veterans received invites to return to South Korea, and Gilmore was one of them. In July, he and his wife Gillian flew to Seoul, a place he remembered being broken by war.

sa国际传媒淚 was absolutely astonished. All the hills that were burned and broken were beautifully forested. Every place there, if it has a square inch to plant something they planted. Everything was green and flowering and beautiful, and I saw two of the most beautiful cities Isa国际传媒檝e ever seen in my life.sa国际传媒�

The Canadians were greeted in Seoul and provided with a Korean guide, a nurse and four staff. Their buses travelled with a motorcycle escort. Hotel staff lined up hallways to greet the veterans.

Their itinerary included visits to the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea, and the War Memorial of Korea. They took a high-speed train to Busan in the southeastern part of the country, and visited the DMZ about 60 kilometres north of Seoul.

Gilmore never got to visit Panmunjom where the armistice was signed inside the 248-km long DMZ. Only days before he arrived, an American soldier crossed the border into North Korea and was detained, which led to the site being shut down to tourists.

It was a reminder to Gilmore that the war, in its own way, continues despite the progress made in South Korea.

sa国际传媒淓veryone seems to be prosperous and happy, everybodysa国际传媒檚 busy. They have total freedom and fair elections. And [just a ways] north, people are in slavery.sa国际传媒�

Gilmore is back in Nelson now, albeit with mixed feelings. Hesa国际传媒檚 grateful to have gone on the trip, especially to have seen South Korea restored from where he left it. Among the items he brought back are notes from Korean children thanking him for his service.

But he doesnsa国际传媒檛 believe the world learned anything from the Korean War, which lingers on even as new wars are fought in Ukraine and now in Gaza and Israel.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 easy to declare war. Itsa国际传媒檚 easy to attack. You never know the consequences. You think you do. sa国际传媒� History shows us that once the dogs of war are unleashed all hell breaks loose and things yousa国际传媒檝e never thought of happen.sa国际传媒�

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