'When we were called, we went': One of Sydney’s last remaining Korean War veterans shares his story

On a morning when people of all ages who have served came together to remember, one veteran in Sydney, N.S., stood alone amongst them all.

"I don't know why, but I'm still here -- and still in pretty good shape,” said Michael “Mick” Graham, outside of the Remembrance Day service at Centre 200.

About a month shy of his 90th birthday, Graham is the only Korean War veteran left at Ashby Legion Branch 138.

His father was a Second World War veteran and his older brother John served with him in Korea.

Both men have passed on, so Graham knows that soldiers of his vintage are ever dwindling.

"It's nice to be here at my age, and be able to honour the guys that served and the guys who didn't come home,” Graham said. “I'll do that until the day somebody comes to honour me."

He can still recall those lonely, dark nights in Korea's mountains.

"Anything that moved out there was the enemy, but you learn to adapt. And us Cape Bretoners, I think we adapt pretty quick to most things."

In the shadow of the First and Second World Wars, the Korean Conflict between 1950 and 1953 has been referred to over the years as "The Forgotten War."

When asked how he feels whenever he hears the term, Graham was blunt and heartfelt.

"Most of the people that say that didn't have anybody serving there,” he said. “They thought you were kind of stupid to go into something like that. (However), when you sit around and say, 'My God, this is my country,’ I get a little choked up when I think about… thinking like that."

All these years later, Graham speaks generally as a man who is glad to have served and who knows how fortunate he is.

"You think about those guys a lot, (men who) were good buddies with you up in the hills. Some guys get lucky, some guys don't. I had a lot of near-misses, the same as everybody else that was in the front."

On this Remembrance Day, Graham was simply happy to attend the service with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

"To me, it's just something that I can sit back and say, 'When we were called, we went.’”