Cenotaph ban on wounded war heroes

[IndianaGreen]

Source: The Guardian

Cenotaph ban on wounded war heroes

Families accuse government of being 'ashamed' of victims of war in Afghanistan and Iraq as British Legion has to tell them guidelines do not allow serving soldiers to take part in Remembrance Day march past

Ned Temko and Mark Townsend
Sunday November 11, 2007
The Observer

Serving soldiers horrifically injured in the Iraq and Afghan conflicts have been refused permission to join today's main Remembrance Day parade, prompting angry accusations that the government is 'ashamed' to have them seen in public.

Jamie Cooper, 19, the youngest Briton seriously injured in Basra, had hoped to join the march past at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. He is one of a number of young soldiers recuperating from injuries suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan the Royal British Legion had wanted to include in Britain's centrepiece remembrance ceremony.

But last week, the head of the Legion contacted Jamie's's father, Phillip, to say that government rules for participating in the parade stipulated that only veterans, not 'serving soldiers', could take part. Last year 1,500 civilians were among the 9,500 allowed by the government to participate in the official march past. 'I am absolutely outraged,' Cooper said. 'I would not have made an issue of it. But Jamie, who is thankfully recovering well from his latest major operation, said to me: "Dad, do you remember how we always used to go to Remembrance Day when I was younger? Do you think we could go this year?" He feels strongly about it, because he has lost friends on the battlefield and wants to pay tribute to them.'

It is also understood that several soldiers currently recuperating from serious injuries at Headley Court, the military rehabilitation centre near Epsom in Surrey, had wanted to attend, but were also not able to join the official parade.


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,,2209307,00.html

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The BBC will carry the 10.30am Remembrance parade with two-minute silence at 11am at the Cenotaph, attended by the Queen.

[Chulanowa]

1. So how many are going to give the salute with a single finger and do it anyway?

[TomInTib]

2. Hell, in combat you are a veteran after about 1.3 seconds.

What a bunch of shit for them to be pulling some stunt such as that one.

[BobTheSubgenius]

3. This is APPALLING.

I thought my capacity for outrage had been overwhelmed, but I guess it hasn't. I don't know whether to be thankful for that or not.

[JCMach1]

4. The BBC had on the oldest (109 years young) veteran of the WWI trenches

His message was NO MORE WAR!

[theHandpuppet]

5. Damn, this is DISGUSTING

Just don't know what else to say but kick this up and give those jerks all the bad PR and shame they can handle.

[T_i_B]

6. The article does not say how long that policy has been in place

I would expect there to be quite a few people lobbying to have it changed quite frankly.

I can't imagine that sort of policy being of any use in the garrison town where I live and where there are loads of serving soldiers who take part in the annual service of rememberance.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Update: Nation and troops honour war dead

Americans don't appreciate the heavy price an entire generation paid during World War I, and the historical impact that war has had for subsequent generations.

For example, we have the names of 59,000 Americans that were killed during the Vietnam conflict. During WWI one can find that many fallen in one battle alone!

Nation and troops honour war dead



Thousands of war veterans have marched past the Cenotaph memorial in London to mark Remembrance Sunday.

After the commemoration of Britain's war dead began with a gun blast and two minutes' silence on Whitehall, the Queen laid the first wreath of poppies.

Senior Royals followed suit, including Prince William for the first time, then the PM and other leading politicians.

<snip>

This year Remembrance Sunday falls exactly 89 years after the ending of World War I, Armistice Day.

Britain's oldest war veteran, 111-year-old Henry Allingham, laid a wreath in St Omer, northern France.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7089225.stm

[murielm99]

8. Some of us understand.

The British, like so many other Europeans, thought it would be a nice little war. I remember one old Brit telling me that the thinkers of my generation had protested the Vietnam War, but the thinkers of his generation all enlisted during WWI. They felt strongly that it was the right thing to do.

So many died. Common men died. The cream of the aristocracy died. Noble houses went to second and third cousins, or went without an heir. A way of life was undermined as surely as if there had been a revolution. And many British people began to question the fabric of which their society was made.

Imagine then, WWII coming not that long after. We 20th and 21st century Americans have never felt the impact at home that the British have felt. Of course they are not the only ones, but we need to give it some thought.

War is indeed a racket!