lest we forget

Although I have no English blood on me( a bit of welsh and the rest southern European)- I love the UK with all my heart, was born and raised there
people who live there do not seem to understand how good they gottit
the kids do not realize how lucky they are.
By and large, UK is still the best place on earth, good people, benevolent, a sense of fair play,team spirit, law and order,etc
But I think we have overlooked one thing. How we( you) treat you war vets.
In a transport cafe I got friendly with a nice old man with no teeth.
Lived in bedsit, which was paid for him, and apx 50 quid per week in his pocket.
He was nice old fella, one could tell he was lonely, his wife having long passed.
That poor old quiet man received medals of bravery for fighting Rommel troops in north Africa.
Himself sustaining several injurys.
He told me some of his story's- he was man UK could truly be proud of--- and yet, what is his situation now?
It is because men like him that I am writing this in English not german. And my other nations did not fall to the nazi 's.
We seem to have forgotten men like him, opening our arms to all and sundry who in real truth one can trust about as far as they could be slung.
I do not pretend to know the answers- I just think it is so sad that to those we owe so much often do, just seem to be... forgotten.
I hope I am wrong, lets look on the bright side

Charles,
Many thanks for your appreciation of our country. It is a shame that so many veterans [and widows] are treated so shabbily.

Causes a strange mix of pride and despair posts like that.

As the numbers of our WWI & WWII veterans grow fewer it seems that the appreciation or even awareness of these people seems to shrink with it. It appears to me that the current generation of teens couldn't be further removed or less knowledgable about their sacrifices.

Like yourself Charles I hope I'm wrong,

Hear, hear.

I think that our heroes actually embarrass our politicians. These people, due to their selfless acts, detract from what our useless government aims to do. Our elected gov want to seep finance away from such as the military, police and the health service, but the media keeps rolling out those stories of vets who are having a hard time.

Then, another soldier is murdered by an IED, which hits the press - how our pols must hate such things getting in the way of their plans for this country.

Why am I so cynical. Oh I know, it's because of the way our injured servicemen have been treated for one and that's not even opening the can of worms about equipment.

Coops

I hope this isn't out of line and I know it would take a bit of time, Charles, but if the Vet you know is willing could you do a bit of a writeup on his experiences? Even if it is just a bit of a summary it would be good to hear. It might do him some good too to know that people want to know about him and recognize him for his actions.

Hi
It isn't just WW2 vets, it is all vets that not only this UK government but all previous governments have ignored a very close freind of mine ( he was called Tank by his mates) recently died from a long term illness he contracted whilst working abroad with the regiment he recieved absolutely no help form the MOD of the Government he was passed from pillar to post it was disgusting.
I can't talk to much about it as for one I get very upset and two it's going through the courts as we speak.
The only people that helped my mate out when he left the forces where Bikers and Rockers who held rallys and concerts and all kinds of events to help him out, a lot of these guys get bad press but they are proud to be British and they are proud of our Service men and women and they raise millions for them.
You only have to look at the way the Ghurkas where treated to realise that Various Governments look at our sailors, soldiers and airmen as nothing more than cannon fodder, while our heroes die in foriegn lands these fat useless scumbags stay at home lining their pockets and screwing the system.
Regards
Andy

Anger at politicians and lack of government resources is an after effect.

This in the news this afternoon.

Quote :

A soldier from the 40th Regiment Royal Artillery has been killed in an blast in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said.

He died on a vehicle patrol in Lashkar Gah District, Helmand, the MoD added.

That's my son's troop, the only reason that I know it was not him are the words, "next of kin have been informed" until that line appears at the foot of a news bulletin youare waiting for the phone to ring, during that time the last thing on your mind is politics.

Whilst I agree with the comments made above, I'm not going to get tied up in that arena, it's far more imortant that we as a people keep the memories of the acts and deeds of our brave young men vividily alive in the minds of the generations to come. That is why I stand firmly behind this particular section of the forum Lest we forget.


Some good news is that apparantly recruitment into the forces is at a high right now, despite the many detailed reports of the hardship that troops are facing.



Alan

Quote :

That's my son's troop,

A good mate from back in the BG team days, has a son serving in Afghanistan. He himself was a member of UKSF. He told me that he now understands the fears and worries his parents had about him when he was serving. Every day we seem to hear at least one news item ending with "next of kin have been informed", and every time I have a good thought for a devastated family.