Boys and girls,
I must apologise, I have been out on the road for a few days, earning a crust in the post-MOD fashion. It seems my original comments have provoked quite some degree of comment.
I do unreservedly apologise for the offence that I may have caused to those serving homosexuals, particularly those who joined after "Pink Wednesday". I no longer serve, you do. If you do your job, you have my unqualified respect. You are entitled to it. I am a citizien of the UK, you are servants of it.
However, I was there before you were. I wasn't an officer, I left as an SNCO. In the service, we pride ourselves on tradition. Let me give you some examples:
Thank you Sir, pay correct Sir
RN officers' swords
VC winners' names on RAF barrack blocks
Yellow in certain army regiment/corps colours for retreat
No sergeants in the HCav
Pass the port to the left
Matelots saluting with flat palms
Crabs hate Pongos hate Fishheads (and any comination thereof)
Dog called Nigger buried at RAF Scampton.
Nigger as codeword for successful Moehne breach
All three services pride themselves on history (no matter how short ;-)) If it wasn't there, the RN/Army/RAF would not be what it is today. Anyone care to disagree with me?
In the 300 years or so that the UK has had a cohesive military force, the acceptance of homosexuals is but a recent fad in line with the morals of the country.
As I made clear, I have no problem with homosexuals personally, but it isn't going to change the centuries old military ethos anytime soon. Should we exhume and rename Nigger too?
R