Hudswell wrote:
geoffreys wrote:
For Hudswell:
I hope they gave you a medal for your trouble (not just a "campaign" medal).
If you read my very first post on this I said he was a bad guy turned good.
Nobody can condone what he was/did in his earlier life.
Which is exactly what the PM and Corbyn both said about McGuinness in the House yesterday.
I suppose you think they are wrong, barking up the wrong tree, also?
I suggest you are wearing blinkers, unable to see BOTH sides of the conflict, and only able
to see HM Forces there at the time as being just the good guys.
Clearly we shall just have to agree to disagree about all this, but whatever your views
and how ever much they are blinkered, at least show some respect for the man and his
efforts to bring about peace over there (whatever his motives, which don't mean a jot now anyway)
especially on the day of his funeral.
I have never seen so much hatred expressed on this forum as has been shown towards McGuinness.
Geoff.
Ouch that hurt Geoff, no "just" a campaign medal I am afraid, like the the many other Service personnel that deployed to the province, the same medal that some of them died for, and no doubt the same medal many others on this site were awarded. But out of all my honours and awards...it takes pride of place. And yes the Armed Forces deployed to the province, where we had a perfect right to be, after all NI is part of the U.K., were generally the good guys...and we knew exactly who the bad guys were, McGuinness being one of them, on both sides of the divide. Geoff you know nothing, I suspect you have had little life experience...oh sorry I forgot you were in the ACF...admirable but hardly a qualification, and know nothing about the Armed Forces. Respect has to be earnt and I am afraid this man has done nothing to earn my respect. Yes McGuinness did bring something to the peace process, leadership of the PIRA, which came to the table because his organisation was riddled with informants and British Agents, the intelligence community ensured that they could do little on the ground, the people had turned against their violence, sick of the intimidation, crime and murder...do you know what the troubles were actually about? Without using Google! It was about Republicans determined to achieve their aims by violent means...and the Unionists were by no means blameless. Mrs May was doing her duty in Parliament yesterday, as was the Queen when she met McGuinness, I somehow suspect their private thoughts reflected a somewhat different view. Corbyn is a Republican sympathiser who hardly reflects the wishes or views of the majority of his party...he was cringeworthy at best. I do not "hate" anybody....but I am not sorry that this evil man has passed, hopefully history will reflect the horror he bought to the People of Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, it's civilians, the Armed Forces and their families. As Mr Tebbitt said.."The world is a sweeter place".
The way you were talking I assumed you would have deserved a bravery medal or the like,
rather than a "I was there" medal.
You must have been overlooked.
I have not served in the regular armed forces so you are right about lack of experience there.
However not so in civvy street - but I do not need to prove that on here.
Northern Ireland is certainly a sweeter place thanks to the peace efforts of Martin McGuinness
as he got the ball rolling as it were, leading up to PM John Major's Friday agreement.
I notice none of you ex-squaddies care to comment on "bloody sunday", I wonder why not.
Geoff.