Sergeant Tony's Blog

Charge of the Light Brigade 2007 Style – Smiles, Smokes, and Shiny Suits

My family comes from the British Isles, England and Scotland. There is a Ludlow, England with a castle (Ludlow Castle) and coat of arms. York, Scotland was the birthplace and home of one of my ancient grandmothers. So, I’d always been a little proud of my British roots.

Until now.

Winston Churchill, Oliver Cromwell, William Wallace, Lord Nelson and every departed subject of The Crown who died honorable and brave, must be rolling over in their graves. (Those brave British soldiers, prisoners of the Japanese, who perished during WWII building the Burma railroad, were made famous by the movie, “The Bridge on the River Kwai.” Fortunately they’ve been spared this recent indignity.) The behavior of their progeny has embarrassed, dishonored, and tarnished the reputation of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, like nothing else has. They must be glad they aren’t around to witness this nadir in English military deportment.

Instead of the British “stiff upper lip,” these 15 captured sailors and marines smiled and waved for the camera, apologized for their country’s conduct, slumped in chairs like 12 year old adolescents, smoked like they were in a bar, praised their captors, and then added insult to insult by trading in the uniforms of their country for those pathetic, cheap, ill-fitting Wal-Mart suits.

Ridiculous.

Shameful.

Treasonous.

I can only imagine what John McCain and his fellow POWs from Vietnam must have been thinking. McCain and his friends, held by the Vietnamese and tortured almost daily for YEARS, while being held in solitary confinement at the “Hanoi Hilton,” were offered freedom everyday if they would but denounce their country’s behavior and apologize for their “crimes” against the Vietnamese people.

Shakespeare wrote in Henry V, “That island of England breeds very valiant creatures: their mastiffs are of unmatchable courage.”

That was then. This is now.

Poor William is rolling over as well.
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