Having grown up in Kuwait all my childhood (though born in India) and my family still living there(since 1963 as father worked for Govt. and retired after 40 yrs due to Desert Storm) at the time of invasion, I still remember the call I made to Kuwait, from California when I came home from work and saw Peter Jennings on ABC News blaring that Kuwait has been occupied. Our building was right across from the Amir's Palace (Kuwait City) and my parents could see the helicopters over the palace in the early hours of invasion. That was the last I spoke to them , for a whole month since no calls were going through. I finally got a call from Mumbai , when Air India air lifted them from Jordan. I remember them telling us how one time they  hid in the basement of the building with other residents since the soldiers were going door to door knocking with but of their guns to see who lived there. That was a scariest time for me and my 4 siblings who were all in US at the time.

On this Veterans Day, I would like to thank the veterans of Desert Storm/Desert Shield for their sacrifice and service in  freeing Kuwait and the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association for efforts to give its rightful place in American and world history of this swift victory.

At the time my youngest brother was visiting NY on summer break from high school (American School, Kuwait) and I asked him not to go back since the airport was closed; he had only his suitcase of clothes he had come with. Instead I helped him enroll in University for undergraduate studies and today I am happy and proud to say that he is a US Citizen (like me) , after 26 yrs.

Even though I have been here for 20+ years, I still feel home sick even today, for Kuwait with all its fond memories  just as much as I love my new home America.

*Kumu Gupta was Special Advisor to National Desert Storm War Memorial efforts (Washington D.C.) from January-August 2017 & was candidate for 2018 Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation's Citizen Honor's Award

** Shuk'ran is Thank You in Arabic.

 *** Kumu with U.N. Joint Peace Keeping Force (India) in Kuwait on recent visit