Reunited After Decades: Korean War Shipmates Reconnect in Retirement
Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper Three former Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) sailors who served together as teens during the Korean War reunited unexpectedly in their 90s at the Veterans' Lodge, a Broadmead Care home. The men shared memories of life aboard His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Athabaskan II, from demanding boiler room work to long months at sea. Their reunion offered a powerful reminder of service, sacrifice, and the lasting bonds formed at sea. - For Roy Mackay, Gil Russell, and Don Russell, life in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) as teens meant hard work and discipline. Almost eight decades later, life would give them an unexpected gift — a sudden reunion of shipmates now in their nineties. Now 92, 95, and 94 respectively, (Gil and Don are unrelated, and Don passed away shortly before being interviewed) the three reunited at Victoria’s Broadmead Care Society for the first time in decades. The last time they saw each other was when they were only 16, 18, and 19, serving aboard His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Athabaskan during the Korean War, a vessel often nicknamed ‘Athabaskan II’ or ‘Athabee’. A Tribal-class destroyer, Athabaskan II deployed on three wartime tours starting in 1950 with duties ranging from antisubmarine patrols to troop transport, evacuations, and bombardments. The vessel was in service to Canada from 1948 to 1966. Gil, Roy, and Don all deployed together during its third wartime tour, working as stokers in the boiler room. “I was glad to get out of the army and into the navy, you know,” said Roy. “The navy actually helped me find a job during my return to civilian life, and that was really important to me.” Roy shared details of his work once aboard Athabaskan II for his first deployment with the RCN. “It was freezing down...
