Today's column will acknowledge over 100 heroes, heroes as defined in the dictionary -- People distinguished for exceptional courage, fortitude or bold enterprise, especially in times of war or danger.

The heroes I'm talking about today are veterans of the Korean War who live in our region and the members of Unit 27 of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Last Saturday I was asked to MC three special events: a memorial parade at the cenotaph to honor the 516 Canadian Soldiers who were killed during the Korean War, the christening ceremony of the new search and rescue vessel, the Lieutenant Gerard Balfour Meynell, and a dinner to honor those who served in Korea and also to celebrate the exceptional fundraising effort of the Nanaimo Maritime Rescue Society, an effort that led to the purchase of Unit 27's new state of the art search and rescuer vessel.

The new vessel was named after Lieutenant G. B. Meynell who died May 3, 1953 on hill 187 in Korea. His two brothers and many other family members from across the country gathered here for the ceremony - By the way, they think Nanaimo is a truly beautiful place and they were especially impressed with the people they met here. No doubt they'll be back for another visit.

Lieutenant Meynell was Constable Bill Dornan's cousin and it was because of Bill's efforts that the vessel carries the lieutenant's name.

Lieutenant Gerry Meynell began university after serving in the merchant navy. An athlete all his life, he immediately got involved in a variety of sports programs including rugby, track, soccer, cross country running and swimming.

He was a born leader with a bright future, a future cut short as he led a patrol unto Hill 187 on the night of May 2nd / 3rd, 1953. He was one of the 30 men killed that night.

26,791 Canadian soldiers served during the Korean War -- 516 lost their lives and 1042 were wounded.

Towards the end of the banquet I met Ken Himes.

On the night of May 2nd / 3rd, Ken went out ... as the battle raged around him ... and brought back the bodies of 20 of the 30 men killed during the battle. One of those soldiers, he said, was sitting by a tree with his head resting on the trunk as if he were asleep.

This whole experience remains deeply etched in his brain to this day. It's the kind of heroic act, I kept thinking, that belongs in a movie ... not in real life.

The new vessel named after Lieutenant Meynell will replace an old Boston Whaler that, for too many years, has served Nanaimo's Unit 27 of the Canadian coast Guard Auxiliary, the busiest of all 50 CCGA Units in the Pacific Region.

These are the men and women who serve 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; the people who, when others are scurrying for cover, head out into the storm to help those in need.

Their record from last year alone defines them all as true heroes:

• 84 Marine Emergency taskings
• 447 person/hours involved in active Search and Rescue operations.
• $7.2 million worth of property saved or assisted
• 127 people assisted
• Credited with 22 lives saved
• 1600 person/hours training (on the water and in the classroom)
• Nearly 27,000 person/hours served as "on call" duty crew

It was a privilege to meet, and in some small way to be able to acknowledge, the unsung heroes in Unit 27 and of course to meet and acknowledge many of the men who served in Korea.

May Lieutenant Gerard Balfour Meynell live long in spirit through the search and rescuer vessel named after him last Saturday.