Shortest Victory in US history
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As we celebrated Kuwait National Day on February 25th and marked 30th Ann. of the Gulf War last year, I wanted to thank the men and women of the US Armed Forces for liberating Kuwait from Iraqi invasion, in 100 hours, shortest victory in US history.
I grew up in Kuwait all childhood and had the privilege and honor to help build a memorial for these brave soldiers on the National Mall in Washington D.C. , as special advisor to the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association from Jan.-Aug. 2017, my way of saying Shukran ( Thank You) .
Our house 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, where they had crossed into. 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 3 siblings here in the US and my brother visiting from Kuwait on school summer break , not able to go back.
With my uncle ( mother's oldest brother) being a former Air force pilot (India) , military service runs in my family and I am so grateful for the service and sacrifice of the US Armed Forces that guard our freedom each and every day.
* Kumu Gupta is recipient of 2016 President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Community Service Award for her volunteer work as President's Challenge Advocate 2011-2016 , of premiere program of the Council ( under President Obama) , in which Kumu worked on Joining Forces initiative of the Council. Kumu was candidate for 2020 Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation' s Citizen Honors Award for helping military families.
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