Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1970

Date Range To

1980

Materials

NYLON, POLYESTER, COTTON

No. Pieces

1

Length

73

Width

53

Description

GREEN WINDBREAKER JACKET WITH EMBROIDERED BADGE ON THE CHEST READING “KOREA VETERANS ASSOCIATION CANADA” IN GOLD THREAD, WITH RED MAPLE LEAF DETAILING AND A RED LOGO IN THE CENTER OF THE SHIELD; BADGE ON THE LEFT SHOULDER SHOWS A SHIELD WITH GOLD THREAD EDGING ALONG A FELT SHIELD WITH A BRASS CROWN AND SILVER TEXT “COMMONWEALTH.” RIGHT SHOULDER HAS RED FELT BADGE WITH RED EMBROIDERED EDGING, WITH BRASS-COLOURED LAUREL LEAVES SURROUNDING A MAPLE LEAF INSIDE AND BRASS-COLOURED TEXT “CANADA.” FRONT LEFT BREAST OF JACKET HAS A RED FELT POPPY PINNED WITH A GREEN METAL CENTER. JACKET HAS TWO SILVER SNAPS COVERED IN GREEN PLASTIC AT THE COLLAR. ZIPPER RUNS LENGTH OF JACKET CHEST. SLEEVES AND WAIST ARE ELASTIC. JACKET HAS TWO POCKETS ON LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES AT WAIST LINED WITH WHITE COTTON. INSIDE OF JACKET IS BLACK. JACKET HAS WHITE TAGS INSIDE AT COLLAR IN RED, BLUE AND BLACK TEXT “CORPORATE CLOTHING BY AVON SPORTSWEAR TORONTO, XXL/M,” AND BILINGUAL ENGLISH/FRENCH COLLAR TAG IN BLACK TEXT “#30, OUTER SHELL 100% NYLON, EXCLUSIVE OF TRIMMING, CA 00368, MADE IN CANADA, DRY CLEAN ONLY,” AND TAG ON LOWER LEFT INSIDE WITH BLACK TEXT “C-36.” COLLAR AND INSIDE OF JACKET HAS DIRT STAINING AND SOILING. OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

ASSOCIATIONS

History

ON OCTOBER 17, 2017, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED ERIC MORRIS ABOUT HIS ASSOCIATION WITH THE KOREA VETERAN’S ASSOCIATION OF CANADA, PROMPTED BY THE DONATION OF A KOREA VETERAN’S ASSOCIATION MEMBER JACKET TO THE MUSEUM BY DWAYNE GOLDIE. THE JACKET ORIGINALLY BELONGED TO BILL RAMAGE OF LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA. MACLEAN ASKED MORRIS ABOUT THE JACKET AND IF HE RECOGNIZED THE GARMENT, AND MORRIS RECALLED, “THIS IS THE GREEN DRESS JACKET THAT WE’RE ALL WEARING IN THE ASSOCIATION…EVERY DAY WEAR SORT OF THING.” “[THE BADGES ARE THE] PHANTOM AND THAT’S CANADA AS WELL. [EVERYONE WOULD HAVE THESE BADGES ON THEIR JACKETS] BASICALLY. BUT NOT THAT COLOUR. [YOU WOULDN’T BUY THE JACKET WITH THE BADGES ON IT] THERE IS A NATIONAL KIT SHOP [TO BUY BADGES]…YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THE BADGES FROM THEM BUT THEY’RE NOT THESE…THAT’S JUST GOT THE CREST. …HE GOT THEM [THE SHOULDER BADGES] IN KOREA. THEY’RE PROBABLY THE FIRST ONES THAT WERE MADE BECAUSE ALL THE REFLECTING IS CANADA.” “[THE] MEDALS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FROM THE KIT SHOP. NOT MUCH ELSE.” “NOT MANY [OF THE LETHBRIDGE GUYS HAD OUTER SHELL JACKETS LIKE THIS]. BASICALLY [JUST] THE BLAZER. WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS MEMORIES OF BILL RAMAGE, MORRIS SHARED, “I DIDN’T SEE TOO MUCH OF HIM [BILL RAMAGE]…HE WAS A MEMBER OF OUR ORGANIZATION. [HE WAS] ACTIVE. SUPPORTIVE. GOOD GUY. I DIDN’T SEE TOO MUCH OF HIM. HE HAD A SENSE OF HUMOUR.” MORRIS SHARED HIS MEMORIES OF HIS OWN TIME IN THE KOREA VETERAN’S ASSOCIATION IN LETHBRIDGE, NOTING, “I WAS PRESIDENT, VICE-PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS AND I’M A LIFETIME MEMBER OF KVA…THERE’S MANY KOREAN VETERANS IN THIS PART OF ALBERTA…WE HAD A MEDAL PRESENTATION LAST YEAR, THERE [WERE] ONE HUNDRED AND TEN FROM SOUTHERN ALBERTA WE INVITED TO IT. THAT’S ANYWHERE FROM SOUTHERN ALBERTA A LOT OF THEM ARE MEMBERS BUT NOT MEMBERS OF THE UNIT. THEY’RE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL SAME AS I AM NOW.” “WE WERE A FAIRLY ACTIVE UNIT…WE HAD OUR PARADES AND CEREMONIES. WE ALSO WORKED AT THE LOCAL BINGO HALL ONCE EVERY YEAR AND FROM THAT WE USED TO GET OVER THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR, WHICH OF COURSE ALL WE GOT OUT OF IT WAS ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND. WE HAD TO DISTRIBUTE THE REMAINDER TO DESERVING ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN OUR IMMEDIATE AREA WHICH WE DID. THE OTHER MEMBERS ARE STILL YOU KNOW, GOING, NOT IN GOOD HEALTH MOST OF THEM BUT THEY’RE STILL GOING. “THE LEGION [IS WHERE WE MET]. EVERYTHING OPERATED OUT OF THERE. THE LEGION DOES SUPPORT THEM [KOREA VETERAN’S ASSOCIATIONS ACROSS CANADA], [AS] MEETING PLACES.” “WE PARADED THERE [CITY HALL] ON REMEMBRANCE DAY. THAT WAS OUR PRIMARY PARADE AND IT WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL TO ALL. [IT WAS] PRETTY HARD TO GET THESE OLD GUYS OUT TO PARADE…A LOT OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL SENIOR CITIZENS ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH WE FUNDED…THE KOREAN COMMUNITY HERE IS A FAIR SIZE, AND THEY SUPPORTED US…AFTER OUR PARADE FOR EXAMPLE, THEY WOULD INVITE US TO THE CHURCH FOR DINNER. OR WHEN WE HAD OUR MEDAL PRESENTATION THEY SET UP THE KITCHEN AND FED EVERYBODY…THEY WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE.” “[THE ORGANIZATION IS] VERY IMPORTANT [TO ME]. IT IS TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF ANY VETERAN’S ORGANIZATION…WHEN YOU SPEAK TO THE LEGION MEMBERS FOR EXAMPLE IT’S IMPORTANT TO THEM THAT YOU BELONG TO A COMRADESHIP…WE WERE STAUNCH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY…BECAUSE WE VOLUNTEERED…OUR ORGANIZATION IS CLOSED DOWN, AND THE NEXT CLOSEST ONE IS IN CALGARY WHICH WE CAN GO TO ANYTIME. WE CAN GO TO ANY LEGION.” PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P20160022000-GA FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING A COPY OF THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION.

Catalogue Number

P20160022000

Acquisition Date

2016-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail