The Cenotaph at the Legion’s Fairview Branch in Halifax is adorned with wreaths placed during a commemoration of the Persian Gulf War. [Corporal Gregory Cole/CAF]
Retired major Bob Crane doesn’t demand a thank you for donning the Canadian military uniform. Nevertheless, observed the Persian Gulf War veteran from Siksika Nation in Alberta, “gratitude is the one thing that we all appreciate when we do something for other people.”
Crane, a former member of 1 Canadian Field Hospital, spoke of the broader service that he and more than 5,000 comrades provided as part of a 35-country coalition force, spearheaded by the United States, to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation after the latter’s Aug. 1-2, 1990, invasion. He remembered, too, the desert, the dust—and, of course, the heat.
It was a far cry from conditions in Halifax Feb. 25-March 1, 2026, where those same comrades, encountering a brisk Maritime breeze, gathered to mark 35 years since the end of the conflict. Notwithstanding a blanket of long-settled snow, however, clear skies afforded a sizable delegation of Persian Gulf War veterans—Crane among them—the chance to participate in several commemorative events.
Two wreath-placing ceremonies—first at The Royal Canadian Legion’s local Fairview Branch, then the following day at the city’s war memorial—set a strong tone for remembrance, looking back at the land, sea and air efforts contributed by Canada more than three decades ago. Elsewhere, the screening of a new documentary, Canada Remembers our Heroes: The First Gulf War—The War to Free Kuwait, paid tribute to the contingent’s combined arms, a theme echoed during a reception at Nova Scotia’s Government House, hosted by the province’s Lt.-Gov. Mike Savage.
“We’ve not had a minute of rest,” said Crane, First Vice of the Strathmore, Alta., Legion Branch, “but it’s so exciting. I’ve never been wined and dined and feted in this fashion in my entire life.”
HMCS Moncton sails past the Persian Gulf War commemoration event at HMC Dockyard, Halifax, on Feb. 28, 2026. [VAC]
Military and government organizers reserved the greatest dedication for Saturday, Feb. 28, coinciding with the end of the conflict. Beneath a welcome winter sun, delegates and dignitaries assembled at HMC Dockyard for the main commemorations.
The poignancy of the event’s location wasn’t lost on master of ceremonies David Benoit—a retired navy captain—who reminded the crowd that Canadian warships Athabaskan, Terra Nova and Protecteur had once passed through the adjacent waters after returning from the conflict.
“Thousands of Haligonians,” added Benoit, “gathered on the shores of Halifax, Dartmouth, and on the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge to welcome them home.”
In a homage to that scene, as well as in honour of the veterans themselves, HMCS Moncton and HMCS Edmonton sailed through the narrows while, in the skies above, a CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft performed a flypast.
“Thousands of Haligonians gathered on the shores of Halifax, Dartmouth, and on the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge to welcome them home.”
Proceedings then moved indoors at stone frigate HMCS Scotian, where Lt.-Gov. Savage spoke of what the Canadian Armed Forces had previously helped achieve, noting that “our sailors, our soldiers, and our aviators acted with integrity, discipline and an unwavering sense of duty.”
Also in attendance was Veterans Affairs Minister Jill McKnight, who acknowledged the conflict as one of many firsts, not least for Canadian women serving as “equal participants in combat roles.” McKnight also alluded to the federal government’s formal recognition of Gulf War illness, characterized as a largely unexplained multi-symptom chronic condition. In December 2025, it become an official diagnosis in Canada, making those living with it eligible for related disability benefits.
Though all remarks appeared well-received, three guests earned standing ovations: Persian Gulf veteran Mark Ryan, wielding a guitar, played a song entitled “Your Sons and Your Daughters”; Natasha Mohr, widow of Petty Officer 1st Class Rick Mohr, recounted her battle to have the government recognize her husband’s passing as service-related (a struggle complicated by the fact that no Canadians were killed in action); and Harold Davis, president of the Persian Gulf Veterans of Canada.
Harold Davis, president of the Persian Gulf Veterans of Canada, attends the commemorations in Halifax. [VAC]
What remained unaddressed was the government designation of Persian Gulf War veterans, a fight that has persisted since Canada welcomed the last troops home. Despite having engaged enemy forces in an active combat zone, none have received “wartime service” classification, instead being considered “special duty area” personnel.
The implications are both symbolic, such as the sparseness of the Persian Gulf War commemorative landscape, and of real-world consequence relating to disability payments. Whether the federal government intends to implement a policy shift is unknown.
Crane told Legion Magazine that he hoped an announcement on the topic might come soon. “It took the Korean War veterans 50 years to be recognized. Now, we’ve only been at it for 35 years, so maybe we have a ways to go, but for us to be recognized, it will have an impact on services available, and some of them really need those services—especially as we get older.”
“It took the Korean War veterans 50 years to be recognized. Now, we’ve only been at it for 35 years, so maybe we have a ways to go.”
In the absence of fresh government commitments, Crane still appreciated the gratitude shown in Halifax. “I’d like the public to understand,” he furthered, “that we came from all walks of life, all over Canada—Indigenous and non-Indigenous. We put our lives on the line, and we want Canadians to remember that.
“Let’s not wait another 15 years for the Persian Gulf to be recognized. Let’s recognize it now, get it properly legislated, and we’ll be okay.”
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