That's terrible, mate. The lunacy of war. One of my grandfathers was a seaman during WW1 (I've no idea what role or extent the navy played). I also have records of an earlier relative who was taken prisoner during the Boer War. My old man was on active survive during WW2 as well but he rarely mentioned what happened.
It scarred my aunts and uncles as much to watch them suffer for so long. When some guys say the lucky ones were killed outright, you can see what they mean. It just goes to show, there's a hell of a lot of us alive today only by the grace of god (or something along those lines - don't want to start another religion argument). Mind you, war's don't get any easier on the eye or the mind. Billy for one can vouch for that. I'm just grateful never to have had to bear witness to it.
Absolutely mate, I'm the same - just so lucky not to have been involved. Maybe we can all put our being here down to fate?
Here's a great book I read a while back, I'm sure some of you will have already read it but to anyone that hasn't, this really is worth a read (and it's quite short so doesn't take long). All Quiet on the Western Front... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Quiet_on_the_Western_Front
I've never read the book but I've seen the film. Gives it from a regular German soldiers perspective. Thoroughly enjoyed it & had tears in my eyes.
I've ordered a ceramic poppy from the Tower of London display. Cost £25 and all the proceeds go to different military charities. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet.
It's an excellent film and so is this one....Paths of Glory, the scenes in the trenches put you right amongst it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPtVNDvwGMo
They should send some footballs to the Middle East, Billy. That might stop those loonies from killing each other.
Hi Tony, just straight in from the pub and haven't checked it out, but have you got a link to buying one of them? I'll be able to soberly check it out tomorrow afternoon but if you've got a straight line to one that'd be great. Not got a clue what I'd do with it but that ain't the point. I'll appreciate what it means.
It's not always easy to see it through the eyes of the enemy Billy but you're right, it's one hell of an anti-war film, it hits every emotional button! I watched it years ago, and have avoided it ever since. There have been so many war movies over the years that have really brought home the horror of war. Oliver Stone, as a director, does it to perfection. The one that gets me most is probably Casualties of War, with Michael J Fox and Sean Penn, based on an "actual" event during the Vietnam War. It probably affects me more from having worked in Saudi with a whole load of American and Aussie Viet veterans, a long time ago, in the 80's when I was just a naive provincial kid. There were some pretty ****ed up, but still good men at heart, re-living nightmares from 20 years before that. It was seeing these great guys, really pissed up, offloading on what they'd experienced, that, after 30 years, still colours my view on what war really means. You've been there and have come through the other side and you have my greatest respect for that. Think I've gone a bit offline while typing this, but from my point of view, it's important for me to remember and respect those who've gone before, and what they gave up for us, who didn't even exist when they did what they did for us, if that makes sense.
Just type in buy tower poppy, that's what I did. I'll see if I can get the proper link 2moro for you.
Aye it's a emotional roller coaster for sure. As much as my granda, with probable good cause, hated the Germans, when you think about it their lads went through the same things ours did. Soldiers can't be political, they go where they're sent & get on with it. Whether they agree with it or not is matterless. In a strange kind of way, although I hated the Provisional IRA I had a kind of grudging respect for them. At least they were fighting for something they believed in. Casualties of war is an immense film but not easy to watch, I nearly put the telly through the wall. But that's the kind of thing that's needed to bring the horrors of it all home to those that have never been involved. Hamburger Hill & Platoon were ground breaking movies too, in so much that they broke the American illusion. Powerful cinema.
Try watching this. ****ing harrowing. [video=youtube;Z_JhTHYCsvA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_JhTHYCsvA[/video]
