Death of Daniel Gunther

For the American endocrinologist, see Daniel Gunther (endocrinologist).
Daniel Gunther
Born(1969-01-13)January 13, 1969
Soest, West Germany
DiedJune 18, 1993(1993-06-18) (aged 24)
Bicu, Bosnia  †
Buried
Parc Commeratif La Souvenance
Quebec, Canada
AllegianceCanada
Years of service1987–1993
RankCorporal
UnitRoyal 22e Régiment
Battles / warsUnited Nations Protection Force Yugoslavia (UNPROFOR)
Spouse(s)Marie-Josée Vincent
Children1

Corporal Daniel Gunther (January 13, 1969 – June 18, 1993) was a Canadian soldier serving with the Royal 22e Régiment as part of the UN Protection Force in Bosnia.

His death while on the UN mission in Bosnia led to multiple discussions both in Canada and abroad:

  • caused concern about a ceasefire between Croatian and Muslim forces
  • contributed to a series of debates by parliamentarians and Kim Campbell, Canada's minister of national defence and (eventually successful) candidate for prime minister, about the country's involvement in increasingly violent peacekeeping missions
  • and was the source of a controversy about the lack of public transparency by the Canadian Forces.[1]

Gunther was the third Canadian fatality in the Yugoslavia peacekeeping mission,[2] and also the only Canadian soldier killed by hostile fire for the decade between 1993 and 2004 when Corporal Jamie Murphy was killed in Afghanistan in 2004.[3]

  1. ^ Taylor, Scott; Nolan, Brian (1997). Tarnished brass: crime and corruption in the Canadian military. Seal Books. pp. 237–238. ISBN 0770427677.
  2. ^ Leyton-Brown, David (1999). Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs 1993. University of Toronto Press. p. 128. ISBN 0802047017.
  3. ^ "The fog of war: Casualties of friendly fire". Quick Facts - Indepth: Friendly Fire. CBC News Online. October 22, 2003. Retrieved June 4, 2014.