CDKW00014 - Canada Offers Naval Support

In late June, the Canadians began to consider the best first move based on their geopolitical position and sent three Canadian destroyers off the coast of British Columbia into the Pacific. As this cable from the Secretary of State for External Affairs shows, Canada informed the United Nations of these destroyers headed to the Pacific on 12 July - the U.S. had already been informally informed - with the intent to have these destroyers join the United Nations forces. This cable marks the inception of Canada’s role in the United Nations peacekeeping forces, and outlines that Canadian destroyers would now fall under the command of General MacArthur, who was appointed to head the United Nations forces to defend the Republic of Korea.