Memory Project Archive
William "Bill" Lappan (Primary Source)
In 2011, The Memory Project interviewed William Lappan, a veteran of the Korean War. The following recording (and transcript) is an excerpt from this interview. William Lappan was born on 30 July 1930 in Windsor, Ontario. In 1951, at age 21, Lappan enlisted in the Canadian armed forces. He was assigned to the Royal Canadian Regiment, C Company and trained in London, Petawawa, and Wainwright, Ontario; he then underwent additional training in Japan before beginning active service in Korea. In this testimony, Lappan discusses his experiences on the front lines in direct confrontations with Korean and Chinese soldiers. Lappan’s service ended in 1954; he had difficulty adjusting to life post-war and received treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Lappan died on 16 November 2016 at the age of 88 in Windsor. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker's recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.