“You just never know you’re living in the good old days until someone asks what it was like.”

The war ended, but the stories still endure. For many, the Persian Gulf War may feel like a distant chapter in history, another line in a textbook. But for those who served, its impact is anything but distant. It lives quietly, woven into friendship, values, and a lifetime of quiet reflection.   

For Craig Norman, that distance in time often leads him back to a simple question with profound weight: “Where has the time gone?”

Answering the call 

Craig grew up in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, at a time when finishing high school often meant one thing for many young people: join the military. Service was familiar, respected, and deeply personal. His father was a Second World War Veteran. That legacy mattered.

“I always wanted to serve, as that was the next step,” Craig recalls.

At 17, with a deep love for the outdoors and a desire to do something meaningful, he enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1978. He began his career as an air weapons technician and went on to serve for 22 years.

He entered military life much like many young recruits do, uncertain but determined. Very quickly, reality came into focus. Training was persistent and unrelenting; discipline was a constant companion, and the understanding grew that this was not just a job. It was a commitment. Responsibility. A way of life

Boot camp was demanding, but it was also where camaraderie took root. Bonds formed through shared effort and honest work that would last long after uniforms were hung up.

“You don’t realize the good times are the good times while you’re in them” he says, reflecting on the friendships that still anchor his story decades later.

From home soil to foreign ground

A defining chapter of Craig’s career came with his posting to Germany, where he entered a NATO environment that, as he puts it, "was an eye-opener." The scale, urgency, and professionalism made it evident that this was no simulation. It was reality – preparation for what lay ahead of him.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, everything shifted. By October, Craig was deployed from Germany to Doha, Qatar.

His accommodation changed frequently. First in a hotel, then a repurposed labor camp known as Canada Dry One (CD1), and then to Canada Dry Two (CD2). Teams worked tirelessly to make the space functional and, where possible, comfortable.

It was during this period of movement, uncertainty, and transition into the heart of the operation that Craig experienced a profound realization:

“This was what I trained for... what I’ve been preparing for my entire life … This was my part," Craig exclaimed. "This was my moment."

The weeks that changed everything

Life during the Gulf War was defined by readiness. Training never stopped. Briefing never stopped. The tempo was unrelenting, and the focus was clear.

The air campaign that began in mid-January 1991 concluded just weeks later in early February. The coalition's movement ceased, and the planned second deployment was cancelled.

Although those weeks were intense, Craig knew that everything he had learned from joining at 18, was being formed and cultivated to serve this very mission.

According to Craig, "You prepared until you didn't need to work, but you never stopped training."  

It would be easy to call those weeks the defining chapter of Craig’s career. But for him, the experience didn’t define him in a single dramatic way; rather, it confirmed the principles that have guided him throughout his life.

 Discipline. Pride. Purpose.

Where the memories live

Some of Craig’s strongest memories are tied not to operational moments, but to people. Shared experiences, forged under pressure, endure long after the conflict fades from public attention.

He remains closely connected to fellow Veterans through the Persian Gulf Veterans Association, keeping in touch with friends like Harold Davis and others whose advocacy work in Ottawa helped lead to notable changes, including official recognition of Gulf War Illness by the Canadian government and Veterans Affairs Canada.

Service also reshaped family conversations that deepened understanding between Craig and his father. The respect was always there, but the relatability came later, enriching their bond even more.

Service beyond the battlefield

When Craig left the Forces, he transitioned directly into a civilian role at IMP Aerospace, surrounded by colleagues who, like him, carried decades of military experience. The shift felt less like stepping away and more like continuing a mission in a new way.

His discipline, technical skill, and commitment to teamwork translated seamlessly into his second career, reaffirming what he already knew: “The values forged in service are durable, transferable, and deeply needed beyond the military.” 

Now, 35 years after the Gulf War, Craig often reflects on the journey that shaped him. If he could speak to his younger self, the 17‑year‑old enlisting with determination and a desire to live in the present moment, his message would be simple and sincere: “Job well done.” 

He is proud of what he accomplished, proud of where he served, and grateful for every lesson, friendship, and challenge that defined his path.

Craig doesn’t ask the world to remember the war in detail. He hopes, instead, that people remember the human stories, the friendships, the discipline, the preparation, and the ideals carried by those willing to serve.

For Craig Norman, answering the call was never about recognition or acclaim. It was about “doing what needed to be done, when it needed to be done.”