Interview with Léo Gallant

My name is Léo Gallant. I am a Korean War veteran. I enlisted in the Canadian Army on the 25th of September 1950, and joined the 2nd Battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment. After completing my basic training at Camp Valcartier, Québec, I went on a six month advanced infantry training in the United States of America at Fort Louis, Washington, and on the 19th of April 1951, we sailed from Seattle, Washington for Korea. During the Korean War I served as an infantryman with the 2nd Battalion of the 22nd Regiment from April 1951 to May 1952. I took part in the battle of Hill 355, known as Little Gibraltar from the 22nd to 26th of November 1951. This was by far the bloodiest battle that my regiment fought during the Korean War, and regrettably in those four days the battalion lost sixteen comrades killed, fifty-six were wounded and three were taken prisoner. Upon my return to Canada I attended a jump course and qualified as a paratrooper. I also completed three tours of duty in Germany with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization between 1953 and 1973, and later served with the United Nations contingent on the island of Cyprus from 1981 to 1982. As a non-commissioned officer, I held the appointment of Chief Warrant Officer at the Canadian Forces Recruit School in St. Jean-Richelieu, Quebec, and in 1981, I was appointed Regimental Sergeant Major of the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment. One year later, from 1982 to 1986, I had the appointment of Chief Warrant Officer of the Canadian Army. I was commissioned to the rank of Captain in February 1987, and I retired in March 1993. I served in the Canadian Armed Forces for a total of forty-two years and six months.