CDKW00338 - The Face of the War

As the war in Korea, and the Canadian role on the ground, escalated throughout the spring of 1951, the Minister of National Defense became increasingly concerned about the rhetoric used around the Korean conflict. In particular, the Minister was concerned that naming operations with titles like “Operation Killer,” reports of bombing defenseless villages, and the usage of racialized terms for South Koreans risked seriously harming public support for the UN mission in Korea. Rather than pushing back against the military directly for these choices, this matter was referred to the Chiefs of Staff who were requested to bring up the complaint with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Furthermore, the Minister urged the Chiefs of Staff to inform External Affairs and the US Department of State of this matter, as it was perceived as a major non-military threat to the mission’s overall success.