KIM BURTON-SCHRAM
Local journalism initiative reporter
While so much of the world is in turmoil right now, thoughts lead to the potential for Canadian soldiers to be placed into active service, and to those Canadian Armed Forces members who have previously volunteered to join up, defend our nation and help war torn countries rebuild their lives.
Recently, wreath laying ceremonies were held to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the end of the Persian Gulf War. The service was organized by the Persian Gulf Veterans of Canada (PGCV), a non-profit association that operates through membership to advocate for veterans and their families. This was the first year where the Minister of Veteran Affairs participated in the ceremony, with members of the public also in attendance.
Veterans are fighting for “Wartime Status” recognition, rather than “Special Duty Area,” to secure better benefits.
Dick Budge from Apple Hill, served as a Marine Engineer on the HMCS Protecteur (AOR 509), a replenishment ship that supplied oil and dry goods in the Persian Gulf War. He feels he was one of the fortunate ones to participate in conflict theatres and not be injured. He was also able to return home, retire honourably from the Canadian Armed Forces and find employment as a civil servant naval trainer until full retirement. Budge also advocates for the many non-war veterans in SDG Counties who need help seeking health care, benefits and support, providing them with information, contacts and referrals.
Mike McGlennon, Vice President of the PGCV, has been laying a wreath at cenotaphs for over eight years, on the anniversary of the end of the Gulf War, often on his own, without any others to acknowledge the significance of the day. An Ottawa native, McGlennon served as Warrant Officer on the HMCS Athabaskan, a destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy. Sadly, many people are unaware that members of the Canadian Armed Forces who served in the Gulf War and in Afghanistan are not classified as war veterans by the federal government. The last group of soldiers officially listed as war veterans are those from the Korean War. That war ended in the 1950s and those who fought were not recognized as war veterans until 1980.
Over 5,000 military members served in the Gulf War from 1990-91 and over 40,000 served in Afghanistan from 2001-2014. The Gulf War was the first time that women served in combat as part of the Canadian Armed Forces. Military personnel came home with catastrophic injuries, mental health illness and Gulf War Syndrome, which was only recognized in December 2025 as an illness. In Afghanistan,158 members of the Armed Forces lost their lives, while others returned home with life-changing injuries. And yet, these soldiers are not recognized as war veterans.
Non-war veterans are not compensated similarly. A Korean War vet receives more financial support than a soldier who served in the Gulf War or in Afghanistan. In addition, a soldier in need of health care must apply to qualify for benefits and continue to apply every three to four years to continue those health benefits. War veterans also have priority access to long-term care homes.
As defined by Veterans Affairs Canada, a veteran is a member of the armed forces who served and was honourably discharged. The War Veterans Allowance Act is for soldiers who served in theatres of war. It will take an act of Parliament to make the necessary change to consider all veterans, even those who served in non-combat or peacekeeping roles, as war veterans.
The recurring issue is that members of the Armed Forces followed orders to do as they were told, only to return home and feel forgotten by their own government. Members from the Persian Gulf War and the Afghanistan War must now fight for medical and commemorative benefits within their own country. McGlennon said that Canadians need to understand that recognizing soldiers who returned from wars is just as important as commemorating those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The Persian Gulf War is not acknowledged on the National War Monument in Ottawa, reportedly because the conflict was not large enough and no members of the Canadian Armed Forces lost their lives.
The Persian Gulf Veterans of Canada Association looks forward to the day when their service will be recognized on the same scale as those members of the Canadian Armed Forces who fought in the two World Wars and in the Korean War. Members hope to see the same level of benefits awarded to both war veterans and non-war veterans. As Mike McGlennon said, “Why is a Taliban bullet worth less medical insurance than a German or a Japanese bullet?”
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