COLD WAR VETERANS
It was a long time and more than one uniform ago plus an awful lot of jointery since , so now I tend to speak purple rather than dark blue. The flag in question, was a that of a Surgeon Rear Admiral (so not a proper admiral 
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Anyone got Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals and Coronation medal? Would need (by my calculation) 26 years service. (or joining Police/Fire etc in Civilian life)
Eng Wing at Valley solved the problem of potential jealousy and ill-feeling by presenting their (one?) allocation to me behind closed-doors with the strict instruction not to show or wear the ribbon until arrival at my new unit (I had just about finished 'clearing' when I was ushered into OC Eng's office). I was somewhat bemused as I wasn't really aware of the existence of such a thing. After a spot of leave, turned up at new location with ribbon in place and this did elicit a number of comments - not all complementary.
Yes......plenty of people. Including this c/s though I was out 3 weeks after the coronation, still got the medal.
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Last edited by Toadstool; 5th Feb 2024 at 17:53.
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Does that extend to dependents living on those bases? Asking for a friend.
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There's inclusive for you!
I would like to thank all contributors to this thread. The inputs are interesting to a man in his mid seventies who spent nearly 22 years defending this nation so they can have their opinions. When I stand at the local Remembrance Sunday event, I find it very difficult to be able to represent the time spent because apart from a veterans badge, who would know? Medals are not always marks of bravery or death. They are marks of representation. A commitment to serve your country. I lost several very close friends during my service. We all accepted the risks. Minutes to get airborne from QRA to chase unidentified targets in lousy weather. Sometimes with no ideal diversion. Then there were hours spent on single seat nuclear QRA, with fifteen minutes to depart and find your way to a target in East Germany to destroy up to half a million people when your family was vaporised on your home base!! If you survived the journey! Yes we had duty free booze and a great social life but how many destroyed their home life. How many families decided enough was enough! Clearly this has become a divisive topic but I believe there is a need for recognition. If you don’t want to sign the petition, then please just ignore it. Don’t offend the guys who did their bit so you can order takeaways and criticise a world they have never experienced!
Last edited by newt; 5th Feb 2024 at 21:36.
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even the shabby, bespectacled, balding, indecisive and wrong weather forecaster ?
How's that for thread drift?
Don’t offend the guys who did their bit so you can order takeaways and criticise a world they have never experienced!
As I said earlier, with the current state of the Armed Forces, there are far more important issues to address.
Last edited by oxenos; 5th Feb 2024 at 22:53.
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No, you did the job of every standing military in peacetime, to train for war and act as a deterrent. No different to the men and women in Estonia and Romania now. I did a Laarbruch tour during the Cold war, we often used to discuss how long we'd last come the day they rolled over the IGB, hours probably. But it never happened, we shouldn't give out medals for being ready just in case. As I'm still serving, I'd be seriously embarrassed to wear a CW medal alongside my real operational gongs and would expect to be mercilessly mocked by anyone who joined up post C1990.
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It was the Cold War. So why don’t you understand what went before? Sums up our younger generation. You would not be here if we had not done our job. When the Muslims are telling you how to live your life, you might regret your stance!! All we are asking for is recognition of the time spent defending the nation. What can’t you understand that? It’s not about glory or actually dropping bombs. It’s about recognition! Oh, and by the way, it was not called peacetime, it was called the Cold War!
Last edited by newt; 5th Feb 2024 at 22:50.
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Sums up our younger generation. You would not be here if we had not done our job.
I, for one, am in my 80s, served 1960 to 1980.
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newt,
Disparaging anyone who doesn't agree with you - especially on a website like this, were most people commenting have either served or are still serving - is not helping your cause.
Disparaging anyone who doesn't agree with you - especially on a website like this, were most people commenting have either served or are still serving - is not helping your cause.
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It was the Cold War. So why don’t you understand what went before? Sums up our younger generation. You would not be here if we had not done our job. When the Muslims are telling you how to live your life, you might regret your stance!! All we are asking for is recognition of the time spent defending the nation. What can’t you understand that? It’s not about glory or actually dropping bombs. It’s about recognition! Oh, and by the way, it was not called peacetime, it was called the Cold War!
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Thread Starter
Newt,
I agree with you. How many posters, who are anti the idea of a Cold War medal, have Jubilee and/or Coronation medals? These, unlike operational/bravery awards, are simply awarded to recognise service - which is what a Cold War medal would do. Which, incidentally, the LS&GC medal does and which officers now receive: (not in my day).
In any event, the criteria to award gongs are risible. In his 40s, my father became a Special Constable - not because he wanted to serve, but because he wanted to join the Police Male Voice Choir! In ten years he was called out twice: once to a Test Match and once to keep back children, while a beekeeper dealt with a bee swarm. After ten years he was awarded a medal - for 8 hours of service and much singing! He was most amused to add it to the row of WWII medals that he earned as an RAF pilot.
Like you, Newt, I simply have a veterans' badge to show for 28 years of service. (There were two wars during my time: Falklands and GW1; I was serving as a Whitehall Warrior for both).
So, I have signed the petition; a Cold War medal would be something I could give to my lads to show them that I did something useful for a large part of my working life. Oh, and like Beags, I feel that the award of Silver Jubilee medals was an absolute farce - it was a ballot on my station!
I agree with you. How many posters, who are anti the idea of a Cold War medal, have Jubilee and/or Coronation medals? These, unlike operational/bravery awards, are simply awarded to recognise service - which is what a Cold War medal would do. Which, incidentally, the LS&GC medal does and which officers now receive: (not in my day).
In any event, the criteria to award gongs are risible. In his 40s, my father became a Special Constable - not because he wanted to serve, but because he wanted to join the Police Male Voice Choir! In ten years he was called out twice: once to a Test Match and once to keep back children, while a beekeeper dealt with a bee swarm. After ten years he was awarded a medal - for 8 hours of service and much singing! He was most amused to add it to the row of WWII medals that he earned as an RAF pilot.
Like you, Newt, I simply have a veterans' badge to show for 28 years of service. (There were two wars during my time: Falklands and GW1; I was serving as a Whitehall Warrior for both).
So, I have signed the petition; a Cold War medal would be something I could give to my lads to show them that I did something useful for a large part of my working life. Oh, and like Beags, I feel that the award of Silver Jubilee medals was an absolute farce - it was a ballot on my station!
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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I signed it too, not that I would be particularly interested in having one myself, but because a lot of people would, so I have signed it to further their cause.
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Wife organised a move every 3 yrs avge 40 years, could not work for 15 of them, children moved school after school ........ What did you do in the Cold War Gpa?
Would be nice to have a trinket.
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I think this boils down to whether you're a "badges? We don't need no steeenking badges..." person, or you're not.
Unlike many participants in the Cold War I managed to get myself shot at on a few occasions, but that was life in a light-blue suit on a helicopter unit. Personally I don't want any more gongs - certainly not the "Long Distance/ Undetected Crime" which I believe should be expected of every ossifer - but have no objection to those who wish to re-live past experiences in some form or other. My wife is also happy not to be reminded of the exigencies of life married to a 1970s-2000s service person
.
Unlike many participants in the Cold War I managed to get myself shot at on a few occasions, but that was life in a light-blue suit on a helicopter unit. Personally I don't want any more gongs - certainly not the "Long Distance/ Undetected Crime" which I believe should be expected of every ossifer - but have no objection to those who wish to re-live past experiences in some form or other. My wife is also happy not to be reminded of the exigencies of life married to a 1970s-2000s service person
.