Rocket War

About Rocket War

In 1990, Canada joined the first UN–sanctioned war against a sovereign state since Korea. Rocket War is a four-part documentary series exploring Canada’s role in the Persian Gulf War as told through the voices of those who served. Focusing on Operation Friction, the series traces Canada’s contribution at sea, in the air, and on the ground—from Royal Canadian Navy ships enforcing UN sanctions in the Persian Gulf, to CF-18 fighter pilots flying combat missions over Iraq and Kuwait, to a rapidly assembled Canadian field hospital treating coalition casualties and Iraqi prisoners of war under the threat of Scud missile attacks. Blending firsthand testimony with historical analysis, Rocket War examines how Canada adapted to modern, coalition warfare, and how this short, intense conflict reshaped the Canadian military in the post–Cold War world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Knockabout Media

Category

history · society & culture · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Jan 2026

Latest episode

21 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

10 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   21 Apr 2026

   The Trials of E. Lionel Cross

   In this episode, we chart the path of E. Lionel Cross — soldier, trailblazing Black lawyer, and civil-rights advocate — and his campaign to hold the Ku Klux Klan accountable after the Oakville cross burning and kidnapping. It is a story about the power of the courtroom and the unfinished work of justice in Canada. *Download our Discussion Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ) Host Cindy Charles Writer Nuruddin Qorane Executive Producer Ryan Barnett Associate Producer Cindy Charles Voice Director Sonia Gemmiti Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett A Knockabout Media Production This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   14 Apr 2026

   George and the Fighting Downeys

   George Alexander Downey was a veteran of two world wars and the patriarch of one of Nova Scotia’s most storied families. From the forests of wartime France to the communities of North Preston, this is the story of his service, sacrifice, and the legacy he passed on to generations who would carry his fighting spirit into the boxing ring and beyond. *Download our Discussion Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ) Host Cindy Charles Writer Nuruddin Qorane Executive Producer Ryan Barnett Associate Producer Cindy Charles Voice Director & Editor Sonia Gemmiti Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett A Knockabout Media Production This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   8 Apr 2026

   Hewburn Greenidge: The Dark Horse

   A Black medical student. An all-Black battalion. A war that needed his skills but never fully recognized his service. In this episode of The Black Hum, we look at the life of Dr. Hewburn Greenidge as it stretched from British Guiana to Winnipeg to the timber camps of the Jura Mountains and back to the heart of the Amazon. *Download our Discussion Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ) Host Cindy Charles Writer Nuruddin Qorane Executive Producer Ryan Barnett Associate Producer Cindy Charles Voice Director & Editor Sonia Gemmiti Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett A Knockabout Media Production This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

4. 

   31 Mar 2026

   Charlie Kelly Takes the Mound

   In this episode of The Black Hum, we trace the extraordinary life of Charlie Kelly, a standout baseball player from Ingersoll, Ontario, and a member of Canada’s No. 2 Construction Battalion. From local ballfields to the First World War, Kelly’s story reveals how sport offered both escape and opportunity. The episode culminates in the legendary “Forestry Game,” where Kelly took the mound before a crowd that included the King of England, challenging racial barriers through sheer talent. *Download our Discussion Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ) Host Cindy Charles Writer Nuruddin Qorane Executive Producer Ryan Barnett Associate Producer Cindy Charles Voice Director Sonia Gemmiti Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett A Knockabout Media Production This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

5. 

   24 Mar 2026

   If You Like Rocket War, Try This: The Black Hum

   Also from Knockabout Media: The Black Hum In this episode, we trace the rise of Rufus Rockhead and the making of Rockhead’s Paradise — the club that became the epicentre of Montreal’s jazz scene. It’s the story of how one man’s ambition transformed a city’s nightlife and created a powerful space for music, community, and resistance. *Download our Discussion Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ) Host Cindy Charles Writer Nuruddin Qorane Executive Producer Ryan Barnett Associate Producer Cindy Charles Voice Director & Editor Sonia Gemmiti Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett Featuring "Hello Montreal" performed by Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians A Knockabout Media Production This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

6. 

   16 Feb 2026

   The Aftermath

   In the final episode of Rocket War, we explore what happened after the guns fell silent in the 1991 Gulf War. From the rapid redeployment of Canadian forces and emotional homecomings to the difficult return to civilian life, this episode reveals the hidden costs of a “short” war. Veterans recount exposure to oil-well fires, the challenge of caring for the wounded after the ceasefire, and the long fight for recognition of service-related illness and death. DOWNLOAD OUR DISCUSSION QUESTIONS HERE (https://linkly.link/2ZKeK) Written by William Patterson Host/Executive Producer Ryan Barnett This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program. Featuring original interviews with Tim Courtney, Harold Davis, David Deere, Chris Linford, Donald MacPherson, Dr. Sean Maloney, Nathasha Mohr, Paul Molnar, Jean Morin, Claude St.Onge, and the Honorable Rebecca Patterson Voice direction by Sonia Gemmiti Series consultant is Jean Morin An original production of Knockabout Media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

7. 

   9 Feb 2026

   Boots on the Ground

   In this episode of Rocket War, the ground war begins. When Britain asks for help, 1 Canadian Field Hospital is rushed to the Saudi desert, where doctors, nurses, and medics prepare for chemical attacks, Scud missiles, and mass casualties. From training in Petawawa to treating wounded Iraqi soldiers on the front lines, Canadian medical staff confront the human cost of the Gulf War up close. Through firsthand accounts, we follow their journey into a fast-moving conflict. DOWNLOAD OUR DISCUSSION QUESTIONS HERE (https://linkly.link/2ZKeK) Written by William Patterson Host/Executive Producer Ryan Barnett This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program. Featuring original interviews with Tim Courtney, Harold Davis, David Deere, Chris Linford, Donald MacPherson, Dr. Sean Maloney, Nathasha Mohr, Paul Molnar, Jean Morin, Claude St.Onge, and the Honorable Rebecca Patterson Voice direction by Sonia Gemmiti Series consultant is Jean Morin An original production of Knockabout Media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

8. 

   2 Feb 2026

   Scramble Order

   In this episode of Rocket War, we explore Canada’s air war during the first Persian Gulf War, tracing how Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets and aircrew deployed to the Middle East following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Drawing on firsthand accounts from pilots and ground crew, as well as expert historical analysis, the episode examines the political decisions behind Canada’s commitment, the rapid transition from NATO bases in Europe to desert operations in Qatar, and the realities of flying Combat Air Patrols over coalition shipping lanes. This episode offers a ground-level look at Canada’s role in a modern air campaign, based on veteran testimony and contemporaneous records. DOWNLOAD OUR DISCUSSION QUESTIONS HERE (https://linkly.link/2ZKeK) Written by William Patterson Host/Executive Producer Ryan Barnett This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program. Featuring original interviews with Tim Courtney, Harold Davis, David Deere, Chris Linford, Donald MacPherson, Dr. Sean Maloney, Nathasha Mohr, Paul Molnar, Jean Morin, Claude St.Onge, and the Honorable Rebecca Patterson Voice direction by Sonia Gemmiti Series consultant is Jean Morin An original production of Knockabout Media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

9. 

   26 Jan 2026

   In for a penny...

   In the early hours of August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, setting off a chain of events that would draw Canada into the first Gulf War. In this opening episode of Rocket War, we explore how Canada went from peacekeeping posture to active military engagement in the Persian Gulf. Featuring firsthand accounts from sailors, air force personnel, and military historians, we trace Canada’s early response to the crisis, the political calculations of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and the rapid deployment of Canadian naval and air assets under Operation Friction. From Halifax Harbour to the Strait of Hormuz, listeners hear what it was like to prepare for war, enforce the UN embargo, and confront the reality of a modern conflict unfolding on live television. Thirty-five years later, Rocket War revisits the decisions, risks, and human experiences that defined Canada’s role in the Gulf War—beginning with the moment everything changed. DOWNLOAD OUR DISCUSSION QUESTIONS HERE (https://linkly.link/2ZKeK) Written by William Patterson Host/Executive Producer Ryan Barnett This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program. Featuring original interviews with Tim Courtney, Harold Davis, David Deere, Chris Linford, Donald MacPherson, Dr. Sean Maloney, Nathasha Mohr, Paul Molnar, Jean Morin, Claude St.Onge, and the Honorable Rebecca Patterson Voice direction by Sonia Gemmiti Series consultant is Jean Morin An original production of Knockabout Media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

10. 

    5 Jan 2026

    Rocket War

    In 1990–91, Canada joined the first UN–sanctioned war against a sovereign state since Korea. Rocket War is a four-part documentary series exploring Canada’s role in the Persian Gulf War as told through the voices of those who served. Focusing on Operation Friction, the series traces Canada’s contribution at sea, in the air, and on the ground—from Royal Canadian Navy ships enforcing UN sanctions in the Persian Gulf, to CF-18 fighter pilots flying combat missions over Iraq and Kuwait, to a rapidly assembled Canadian field hospital treating coalition casualties and Iraqi prisoners of war under the threat of Scud missile attacks. Blending firsthand testimony with historical analysis, Rocket War examines how Canada adapted to modern, coalition warfare, and how this short, intense conflict reshaped the Canadian military in the post–Cold War world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

3.9 / 5

20 ratings

Contact Rocket War

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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