New video marks Canada’s contributions to first Gulf War on 30th anniversary
OTTAWA — Canada’s contribution to the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation is being commemorated in a new video released on the 30th anniversary of the start of what is now known as the first Gulf War.
The video was produced by Historica Canada and tells the story of Canada’s wartime experience during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm through the voices of some of the thousands of Canadian troops who served at the time.
Those include Richard Austin, a petty officer who was serving on board HMCS Athabaskan when the Canadian destroyer traversed an Iraqi minefield to rescue a damaged American warship.
Veterans Affairs Canada says more than 4,000 Canadian military personnel served in the war, which started after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, prompting a major international response led by the U.S.