A fallen peacekeeper from Swift Current is one of the many Canadian veterans whose legacy is carried on by a national website.
Last year the Royal Canadian Legion launched poppystories.ca encouraging the public to scan their poppies to uncover a story about fallen Canadian soldiers.
Keith Bradley Mirau, born on Oct. 19, 1944, in Swift Current, is one of the many figures who stand out in Canada's military history.
"Branch 56 is very honoured that Captain Mirau was selected to be a veteran featured on poppystories.ca," said John Griffin, the public relations officer of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 56. "As the son of two veterans who served on peacekeeping missions, it is great to see our peacekeeping veterans being recognized and honoured".
Mirau enlisted with the Canadian Forces in 1963 at the age of 18 in Centralia, Ontario.
He was deployed overseas as an operation DANACA - part of the United Nations Emergency Force II. The peacekeeping mission for the United Nations was to oversee a cease-fire and to witness the retreat of belligerent forces in the Yom Kippur War.
Tragically, Mirau (at the age of 29) and eight other Canadians were killed in action on Aug. 9, 1974, when their U.N. Flight 51 (CF Buffalo C-115461) which was carrying supplies from Egypt to Syria was shot down by three surface air missiles by the Syrian Forces. The aircraft was shot down after just crossing the border into Syria.
The horrific incident is the largest single incident of loss of life in Canadian peacekeeping operations history and has been titled the "Buffalo Nine".
In honour of the nine brave veterans who lost their lives in the flight, National Peacekeepers Day was created in Canada on Aug. 9, 2008. It also serves as a day to remember and honour every Canadian who's lost their life on peacekeeping missions.
Mirau is buried in Swift Current's Memorial Gardens Cemetery in section 45, plot 4, grave 4.