Would you send your child to war if little chance of returning ?
Pretty good, compared to a few generations ago.
The thread might be better titled would you rather send your child to war with a screw driver or a rifle.
I was TA REME attached field artillery.
Had things not gone to plan (i.e. been mobilised
) I doubt counter battery fire or those nasty infantrymen* would have cared whether I had a spanner or a gun in my hand.
* I refer, of course, only to the enemy ones
Had things not gone to plan (i.e. been mobilised
) I doubt counter battery fire or those nasty infantrymen* would have cared whether I had a spanner or a gun in my hand.* I refer, of course, only to the enemy ones
It catches you when you least expect it.
I read a couple of books recently, the first was "Venom" the story of DeHavilland's old single engine twin boom, an aircraft I am an avid admirer of for reasons that I can't quite determine. One service account detailed the fate of a young RAF pilot fresh from the OCU who took a new squadron Venom up one day only to have the ailerons lock at full deflection on takeoff - the young lad rolled into the ground and died instantly, just in his early twenties and he was gone. Reading it bothered me, something about a life not led.
My next book was Through Fire and Water, the story of the frigate HMS Ardent, sunk by bombs in Falkland Sound. I was 18 when those little islands made the international front pages so I was still in college, my entire class followed every news report of the conflict - patriotism and "bash the Argies" type sentiments were rife, and the loss of young lives didn't seem so important to us back then. On reading the list of Ardent's dead in the book, I saw that 2 of the young sailors were just 18 - they could have been me, and I could have been them. I thought of everything I have done and experienced in those intervening 34 years, experiences that those young lads never got the chance to have. I didn't weep for them in 1982, but I do now.
So would I send my own child to certain death, no. But I would encourage him or her to make their own choice, and then support them regardless of what it was with my last breath, hell yes.
I read a couple of books recently, the first was "Venom" the story of DeHavilland's old single engine twin boom, an aircraft I am an avid admirer of for reasons that I can't quite determine. One service account detailed the fate of a young RAF pilot fresh from the OCU who took a new squadron Venom up one day only to have the ailerons lock at full deflection on takeoff - the young lad rolled into the ground and died instantly, just in his early twenties and he was gone. Reading it bothered me, something about a life not led.
My next book was Through Fire and Water, the story of the frigate HMS Ardent, sunk by bombs in Falkland Sound. I was 18 when those little islands made the international front pages so I was still in college, my entire class followed every news report of the conflict - patriotism and "bash the Argies" type sentiments were rife, and the loss of young lives didn't seem so important to us back then. On reading the list of Ardent's dead in the book, I saw that 2 of the young sailors were just 18 - they could have been me, and I could have been them. I thought of everything I have done and experienced in those intervening 34 years, experiences that those young lads never got the chance to have. I didn't weep for them in 1982, but I do now.
So would I send my own child to certain death, no. But I would encourage him or her to make their own choice, and then support them regardless of what it was with my last breath, hell yes.
Last edited by Fonsini; 5th Feb 2017 at 02:50.
It certainly isn't easy being a proud parent of a front line service man/woman.
The night before he was involved in a NATO bombing attack on the bad guys in Bosnia, our son called to say he would be going "sausage-side" ( fans of Blackadder will know what he meant! ) tomorrow. Cue worrying 24 hours for mum and dad!
The night before he was involved in a NATO bombing attack on the bad guys in Bosnia, our son called to say he would be going "sausage-side" ( fans of Blackadder will know what he meant! ) tomorrow. Cue worrying 24 hours for mum and dad!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Brian, that is indeed the problem with modern communications. Years ago, especially if overseas, you could write a letter on an 'in-case' basis with neither breach of security nor undue worry.
Years ago we had an AEO who always phoned his wife just before we left ops to fly (UK Training Sortie) and would ring her the moment he got back in to ops be it post flight or a delayed flight. We thought it was very sad as what would she go through if there was no phone call?
Years ago we had an AEO who always phoned his wife just before we left ops to fly (UK Training Sortie) and would ring her the moment he got back in to ops be it post flight or a delayed flight. We thought it was very sad as what would she go through if there was no phone call?
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In March 1945 I was an R.A.F. Glider pilot recalled from leave for what we knew would be the Rhine Crossing. My father, who had been through the 14-18 WR, took me to the station here, put his head through the carriage window and said ""don't forget, keep your head down" and so off to war. No question of not going.
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Your parents have nothing to do with it. You are a man now. Make your own mind up. If (as someone has said here) you have taken the shilling, you have taken the war.
Old men make wars, young men have to fight them.
You get killed ? Sad, but that's what happens in wars. Grief is pointless - the war goes on without you, that's all.
'Twas ever so, and ever shall be.
Danny42C.
Old men make wars, young men have to fight them.
You get killed ? Sad, but that's what happens in wars. Grief is pointless - the war goes on without you, that's all.
'Twas ever so, and ever shall be.
Danny42C.
Quote:
Would you send your child to war if little chance of returning ?
A strange leader...? The question is totally conditional on circumstance. Except, I would not send anyone, it would be their choice.
OAP
Would you send your child to war if little chance of returning ?
A strange leader...? The question is totally conditional on circumstance. Except, I would not send anyone, it would be their choice.
OAP
