Recognition from the People of Kuwait

Heroes Remember

Recognition from the People of Kuwait

We are so lucky in this country and you’re so lucky being able to go down the street to a school and take courses. You are safe at your own home and that’s what was happening in Kuwait when all of a sudden an invading force came in with tanks and destroyed their neighbourhood. They had to go underground. They feared for their lives. There may be similar situations in Syria at the moment. How would you feel? You would say, “Can’t somebody come and help us, can’t somebody do something about this. They’re destroying our country in front of our very eyes and we have to hide, what can anybody do?” And the international community said you know you’re right, they shouldn’t have invaded you, you’re a sovereign country. We’re going to say you can’t do that Iraq. You cannot do that, not only that leave and if you don’t leave we’re going to force you out using force. And I think they negotiated for quite a while, they gave them deadlines, they gave a final deadline and said you don’t leave by this time frame we’re going to force you out. And Canadians were part of that in a way that they said ya, that’s the right thing to do. And yes people died because of it but we were part of insuring that the Iraqis were kicked out of Kuwait and they were. And they were on the run. And in a way it was a very incisive operation that took not a lot of time and it worked and it paved the way for the way the world looks at a war in a way. It wasn’t a six year affair, it was a very incisive war and I think the best way to explain to Canadians that it was all worth it was a huge card that we got from the children of Kuwait on the way back home that said, “Thank you for getting our country back!”

Vice Admiral Miller expresses his personal feelings of how lucky we are to be Canadians and the show of respect given to them by the people of Kuwait in respect to getting their country back.

Duncan “Dusty” Miller

Born in the United Kingdom, Duncan “Dusty” Miller immigrated to Canada in 1954. At the age of 15 and having a strong desire to join the military, Mr. Miller went to the recruiting centre but could not be accepted until 16 years of age. He then attended Bishop’s University in Lennoxville. During his career, Mr. Miller rose to the rank of Vice Admiral where he became the Naval Task Commander aboard HMCS Athabaskan during the Persian Gulf War. Vice Admiral Miller later retired from the military and now resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia.