Wall of Rememberence, Fallen Comrades, Freinds..

Today in the UK, on the 11th day, 11th month and 11th hour, this country grinds to a halt. Everyone downs tools and stands in silence for 2 minuets remembering those men and women who died in service of our country.
Armistice Day saw the end of the first world war. A war fought not only by UK troops, but America, Canada, Australia, France, in fact all of the free nations of the world who value freedom commited their sons for that very cause.
Now this day has become the day when we not only remember those great people, but those who have fought in every war since for the same cause.

So i would like to start this wall of remeberence with its first two names;

Fusilier Andrew Grundy, age 22, killed in action, 1992, in Romeo 15 (Newry, Co. Down, Northern Ireland), died saving the lives of 30 comrades including myself. His actions won him a mention in dispatches, but he should have got a VC.

L/Cpl Micheal Beswick, age 22, killed in action, 1993, in Armargh City, Northern Ireland, on his first command. Killed by 2 IED's, a primary and secondary device. He died 15 hours later after loosing all of his limbs.

Both great lads, great friends, great soldiers, and will never be forgotten...

Please feel free to post memories of your fallen comrades, family, friends, experiences in combat, be it british, american, canadian australian in fact what every nationality. The thing that binds us all is that not only are we human, with families and friends, but once we were soldiers

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Lest We Forget

[edit on 11/11/2009 by Kryties]

I would like to Salute all of the Special Ops men and women that have served and fallen in countries that must forever go nameless, in actions that can never be revealed.

There are more silent Heroes then you may imagine.

Semper

We danced to where in the winding thicket
The damask roses, bloom on bloom,
Like crimson meteors hang in the gloom.
And bending over them softly said,
Bending over them in the dance,
With a swift and friendly glance
From dewy eyes: 'Upon the dead
Fall the leaves of other roses,
On the dead dim earth encloses:
But never, never on our graves,
Heaped beside the glimmering waves,
Shall fall the leaves of damask roses.
For neither Death nor Change comes near us,
And all listless hours fear us,
And we fear no dawning morrow,
Nor the grey wandering osprey Sorrow.'

William Butler Yeats - excerp from The Wanderings of Oisin

reply to post by semperfortis


I would also like to do the same, in memory of SAS, SBS, ASAS, Royal Marine Commados, MI5, MI6, JSG, 14 int, Delta, Force Recon, USAFSOW, USN Seals, all those guys who lay in far off lands, whose names we will never know, whose courage and sacrifice will never be acknowleged, I salute you, and thank you, although i never knew you, or what you did, i do know you had our backs, pilgrim masters all!

To all EOD/IEDD operators, regardless of nationality, who have given their lives
for their comrades and civilians in the course of their duties, may you rest in peace. Brothers and Sisters. Sons and Daughters. Mothers and Fathers.

Old soldiers don't die, they just start to smell

reply to post by Sam Vimes


Yeah, lol, we all stink a bit.

Another thing i want to celebrate, is the sense of humour of squaddies.. In very dire circumstances, it never ceased to amaze me how funny troops are.

For example, in gulf war 1 we were under bombardment. One of the guys had just made a cup of tea. He actually dodged the bombs to resucue it. Got in the trench and said "Mann, it aint the same without the flies floating in the top, got the mud though", at the same time i noticed one of the lads reading a comic called commando, which was about war.. So here he was getting bombed, reading a comic about people getting bombed lol... You couldnt make it up..

reply to post by Sam Vimes


I owe my life, and my childrens many times over for the sheer bravery of the guys who work in EOD, the dogs too, although cute and the troops love them, and fuss them, we always regarded them as collegues. But the handlers are more brave because they know the danger yet carry on regardless...

I personally have been in many stiuations with these amazing people, they have never let me down... Ever.... Amazing, selfless to a fault, they are trully the best of the best, and a lot of people do not recognise that..

So in honour of them, all i can do is salute you, because there is no amount of money in the world that can even start to equate your bravery, sacrifice, and character...

War is a malignant disease, an idiocy, a prison, and the pain it
causes is beyond telling or meaning; but war was our condition
and our history, the place we had to live in.

Martha Gellhorn (8 November 1908 - 15 February 1998)