The Korean Boy’s Instinct The year was 1952, and the Korean Peninsula was embroiled in conflict. Canadian troops, part of the United Nations forces, were stationed near the front lines. At their base, civilians, some mere children, worked tirelessly to support the Canadian soldiers. Some worked in makeshift kitchens, preparing meals, others served as batmen, personal attendants who assisted the soldiers with various tasks. Among the civilians was the eight-year-old boy. His small hands worked tirelessly in the makeshift kitchen, chopping vegetables, stirring pots or being helpful to the soldiers. But, caught in the crossfire of war, he was homesick, and he longed to return to his village. The soldiers appreciated the Korean civilians who supported them, and decided they would take him to his village. They loaded him up with food and two soldiers set off with him in a Jeep toward his village. As they approached the village, the boy’s demeanour changed. His eyes widened, and he whispered “Stop! Something is wrong.” The village was eerily quiet. The soldiers trusted the boy’s instincts and prepared for the unexpected. Leaving the boy in the Jeep, the two soldiers moved stealthily through the rice paddies and approached the village from behind. There, they discovered four North Korean soldiers, enemy combatants who had infiltrated the village. The boy’s intuition had prevented them from driving into the village and into danger. With precision, they silenced the enemy soldiers. Returning to the Jeep, the soldiers drove into the heart of the village. The boy’s family and neighbours emerged from hiding, greeting the Canadians and the boy. The village was safe and soon returned to a life of normalcy. The boy’s fate remains a mystery, but the memory of that day left an indelible mark on the two Canadian soldiers. The story was shared with Wartime Heritage in 1999, by one of the Canadian soldiers, a Korean Veteran from Yarmouth County in Nova Scotia, that drove the boy to his village.