Walters & Nobbers

[Lance]

Take a look at this. A very moving website.

http://www.palacebarracksmemorialgarden.org/Intro.htm

[willgoodman]

Watching the DDay 60th anniversary celebrations in france earlier this year, a bbc reporter asked a war veteran he was interviewing:

"Does that not iin the slightest bit sadden or disturb you, the lack of consideration they're showing?" drawing the veteran's attention to a group of young children chasing each other around and climbing all over a memorial statue on the seafront at normandy.

The veteran's reply "Not at all, they're enjoying the freedom that I fought for and the men by my side died for"

Now as far as i'm concerned that goes to show the calibre of the men (and women) who gave their lives for the cause. I hope to find such attitudes still run through the forces when i join.

Will

[bigbart]

Around the D-Day celebrations, as well, were some old veterans in morrison's near me, collecting for war widows. I popped some cash into a pot held by an old para, still stood with his chin up, looking like he'd do it all again now if he had to. I noticed he was saying "thank you" to everyone who put money in the pot. Should have been the other way round, he's got nothing to thank US for.

[minimac]

"Does that not iin the slightest bit sadden or disturb you, the lack of consideration they're showing?" drawing the veteran's attention to a group of young children chasing each other around and climbing all over a memorial statue on the seafront at normandy.

The veteran's reply "Not at all, they're enjoying the freedom that I fought for and the men by my side died for"


Will

That is really moving. After all he went through he can still say that is astonishing.

MM

[TomW]

What I don't get is why do people pretend to be something their not? I would be ashamed to do something like that when I that people have had to train hard to become something like a marine and then there is just people out there who pretend.

[Thrithraing]

To put this in perspective the Outer Hebrides has a total population of 29000 and in the largest town, there are less than 10000 inhabitants of Stornaway within those bronze plaques there were 1151 names inscribed in alphabetical order

My girlfriends family are from North Uist, we went up there a couple of weeeks ago. We stopped at the Commando memorial and had a look round; all very sobering. The memorial has Privates from 9 commando right the way to a Captain in 42 commando who was killed in Iraq in April just gone. When we got to Uist, we visited another memorial to those from the islands who fought and sacrificed themselves so we might not have to. For an area that had a population of a few thousand, an awesome amount of names we printed onto the stone. RAF, Merchant Navy, Argyll, Camerons, even an Royal Marine ML.

What I mean to say is there is more behind the armed forces than some here think. Men have been taken from there daily lives to protect us from those who wish to harm us, even though they know they might come to harm themselves. No-one should be joining until they think can comprehend what real sacrifice is, and if the moment comes that they could take it upon themselves to uphold us; a bigger decision, perhaps, than we can make ourselves.