Joseph Raoul Charest
Lance Corporal
25th Field Dressing Station - Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps
Quonset Huts & Field Dressings
The newly established 25th Canadian Field Dressing Station had sprung up seemingly overnight near the rural village of Tokchong (just some 20 miles north of Seoul) (1). It lied in the shadow of the steep mountains which marked out the parallel to the north and consisted of gently sloping hills with some relatively flat ground, which proved optimal for rice farming. The facility itself contrasted greatly with this rural landscape, being that it was made up of a large concrete pad surrounded by barbed wire with quonset huts spread throughout (1,2). Among the many Canadian personnel posted to this swath of concrete and steel in 1951 was Joseph Charest of Quebec. Though the lack amenities and infrastructure in the area bothered many, Joseph, was likely not one of them. He had spent most his life working in rural and remote places in Quebec such as on his father’s farm south of the St. Lawrence and in logging camps in the vast coniferous forests. A tough climate and little to no infrastructure were nothing new to him. He also was not new to the military, having served during World War Two for a few months with the army after enlisting in 1943, though he spent the majority of time on agricultural leave. He followed this up with a brief stint in the navy beginning in 1949 where he served as a cook and then as a timekeeper before leaving to rejoin the army in August of 1950. Despite his prior service, this was his first time being posted outside the country and to an active combat zone.
In February of 1952, Joseph was officially made a Lance Corporal and Hygiene Assistant at the dressing station and would carry out his duties accordingly. He had very quickly become acquainted with the horrors of the conflict as the first wounded men were brought into the station via stretcher or by helicopter (1,2). Though the men that arrived here were only suppose to have minor wounds, it seems the term “minor” was defined loosely as everything from chest wounds to cases requiring amputation were treated there (1). With a monumental struggle taking place on the now deadlocked front, there was no shortage of wounded, and all the personnel of the facility remained constantly on their feet helping to care for the many men who passed through their facilities. Joseph would carry out his duties here for well over a year, enduring the blistering heat of the summer and the infamous cold winters, which were even bad by Quebec standards.
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In August of 1952, his tour finished and he returned to Canada, though the memories of Korea certainly never left him. The French-Canadian remained in the service for a few years after, however some legal issues (including a 2 month jail sentence) complicated his situation, eventually leading to a demotion and his discharge in 1954. Regardless, he remained a proud veteran of the Korean war, who had honorably served his nation.
Sources:
(1) Barron, June. “June Barron - Veteran Stories - The Memory Project.” Home - The Memory Project, Historica Canada, www.thememoryproject.com/stories/3012:june-barron/.
(2) Walton, Frances. “MY SERVICE IN THE KOREAN CONFLICT.” Heroes of Zora, 11 Nov. 2001, www.heroesofzorra.ca/index.php/item/my-service-in-the-korean-conflict-written-by-frances-walton-november-11-2001.
(1) Barron, June. “June Barron - Veteran Stories - The Memory Project.” Home - The Memory Project, Historica Canada, www.thememoryproject.com/stories/3012:june-barron/.
(2) Walton, Frances. “MY SERVICE IN THE KOREAN CONFLICT.” Heroes of Zora, 11 Nov. 2001, www.heroesofzorra.ca/index.php/item/my-service-in-the-korean-conflict-written-by-frances-walton-november-11-2001.