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General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Wilfrid on March 18, 2005, 02:51:32 AM

Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Wilfrid on March 18, 2005, 02:51:32 AM
Story here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4358921.stm)

Quote
A British soldier serving in Iraq who saved 30 members of his unit from an ambush has been awarded the first Victoria Cross for more than 20 years.

Pte Johnson Beharry, 25, was struck by enemy fire as he guided a convoy of Warrior fighting vehicles through the town of Al Amarah last May.

A month later he saved more lives in an attack which left him in a coma.

He was one of 140 soldiers honoured for tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, the former Yugoslavia and Africa.


So to him.
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: storch on March 18, 2005, 03:15:19 AM
indeed
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Siaf__csf on March 18, 2005, 03:50:22 AM
Umm.. I wouldn't consider it 'winning' if he's currently in coma.

I'd say he was awarded the cross for heroic sacrifice.
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: GreenCloud on March 18, 2005, 04:31:16 AM
this is the small stories of men doing somthing for the greater cause


and siaf..im on the border of calling you out..I would truly like to kik ur skull in if I believed you were putting in ur 2 cents of sarcasm or crak pot remarks of "winning'..


We are making a huge differnce in the middle east..and it is for the good..spreading BASIC human rigths is the way to go


humans are equal..male female..whatever..and the middle east has been known for centuries as a brutal..unfair...and represive society....the oppositte of the USA




Salute all our fellows striving for a better tomorrow

siaf...many people will die on both sides..and you actaully will have a winner...sad as it is at this point..it is true
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Siaf__csf on March 18, 2005, 04:35:43 AM
Greencloud the thing about awards and winning medals is that they're glorified usually only by those who watch the action from side.

The ones who earn them have a completely different outlook on them.
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Haele on March 18, 2005, 04:39:23 AM
Quote
Originally posted by GreenCloud
this is the small stories of men doing somthing for the greater cause


and siaf..im on the border of calling you out..I would truly like to kik ur skull in if I believed you were putting in ur 2 cents of sarcasm or crak pot remarks of "winning'..


We are making a huge differnce in the middle east..and it is for the good..spreading BASIC human rigths is the way to go


humans are equal..male female..whatever..and the middle east has been known for centuries as a brutal..unfair...and represive society....the oppositte of the USA




Salute all our fellows striving for a better tomorrow

siaf...many people will die on both sides..and you actaully will have a winner...sad as it is at this point..it is true


Why are humans equal? Who said so? Is the USA not being brutal, unfair and repressive in its current occupation of Iraq by forcing Western values on an incompatible mindset? Just playing devils advocate for a moment.

Edit : Hello everyone. Are there any biscuits for forum newbies?
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Skydancer on March 18, 2005, 04:54:59 AM
Actualy Siaf you are right!
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Wilfrid on March 18, 2005, 05:45:21 AM
Siaf, RTFA: "When I was told yesterday I thought it was great to have received the award. I was speechless," said Mr Beharry, who was born on the Caribbean island of Grenada but comes from London.

    
Haele, take it to a different thread. No biscuits for you!
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Siaf__csf on March 18, 2005, 05:52:04 AM
Well if he can actually still speak it makes things different. If he appreciates the notion, good for him.
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: GreenCloud on March 18, 2005, 06:36:06 AM
Quote
Greencloud the thing about awards and winning medals is that they're glorified usually only by those who watch the action from side.


im not going to kik ur skullin rigth now..

this soldier has not went out to glorify himslef as u say...

2nd....many many who get awards have doen more then there part


ur wong..i would let you go,,but to put words where they arent ...especially in this case..is absloute crap..

where do you see he said hes glorify'n his own?.....no where




Hale..answerning your question is really ridiculous...YA..USA is the worst country EVAR...devils dumcht sounds like




and again..dont hijakc this post

SALUTE..all you boys over there

my boy comes home in 25 days
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Haele on March 18, 2005, 06:38:48 AM
Quote
Hale..answerning your question is really ridiculous...YA..USA is the worst country EVAR...devils dumcht sounds like


Huh?
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Siaf__csf on March 18, 2005, 06:52:09 AM
Greencloud it would help if you would take the time to spell correctly and read/understand the posts.

Let me repeat: Usually awards and medals are worshipped only by sidestanders, the ones who earn them often couldn't care less. In fact, many warheroes I've seen have commented they don't care about the medals. They care how they're treated post-war.
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: cpxxx on March 18, 2005, 07:15:19 AM
Siaf, Private Beharry was all over the TV this morning looking fit and well apart from some scars on his head. Winning a Victoria cross is no small thing and it's not just the bystanders who appreciate his courage. His comrades appreciate it too. Not least the guys who are still alive because of his actions.  But you're right in one sense. In common with almost all VC winners, he felt he was simply doing his duty.

The last Victoria cross was issued in 1982.  The last time one was issued to a living soldier was 40 years ago.  The VC is issued for bravery in the face of the enemy.   A young British soldier was issued with the equal in status George Cross for similar bravery when he rescued comrades from a burning vehicle while under repeated attack in Iraq in 2003. We would have got a VC but for the fact the attacker was a strafing A10 Warthog.

So it's no small thing to win a VC.

Here's the citation. It bears study.

Citation (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4360461.stm)
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Rino on March 18, 2005, 07:29:48 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Haele
Why are humans equal? Who said so? Is the USA not being brutal, unfair and repressive in its current occupation of Iraq by forcing Western values on an incompatible mindset? Just playing devils advocate for a moment.

Edit : Hello everyone. Are there any biscuits for forum newbies?



     Something tells me Haele just might not be a forum newby:rolleyes:
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Haele on March 18, 2005, 07:32:04 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Rino
Something tells me Haele just might not be a forum newby:rolleyes:


I've lurked for a long time if that counts, when I registered my account was lost to the ether and existed in a horrible state of nothingness where I couldn't retrieve a confirmation e-mail for a while.
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: GreenCloud on March 18, 2005, 07:41:38 AM
siaf..thsi is the last skull kicking i will give you on this post



why even bring up your negative crap...


so what you are bashing us?..cause we aprove  and look up to..and congradulate somebody? maybe you should just say, good job! or salute!..OR DONT POST ANYTHING..nothing to say so just bash him? YA Baherry..we should not give you any credit or recognizition..thats what Siaf says...


How about you re-read the FIRST POST..then read your comments...

then go stik a knife in ur left side belly..please
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Toad on March 18, 2005, 08:03:07 AM
"Good show, Pte Beharry. Carry on."

Beharry.
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Momus-- on March 18, 2005, 08:25:50 AM
Cool guy.

Asked what was going through his mind at the time of the second attack, he quipped: "RPG."

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/35588.html (http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/35588.html)
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Siaf__csf on March 18, 2005, 08:34:58 AM
Greencloud I posted because I thought at that time that the guy was in a coma fighting for his life while you guys celebrated his medal.

Why do you have to be so sensitive about everything? Sheesh.
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Bodhi on March 18, 2005, 08:49:31 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Haele

Edit : Hello everyone. Are there any biscuits for forum newbies?


sure, there are biscuits for forum noobs, plus plenty of arse and boobies.  

For shade accounts it looks more like a 18" (around) strap on though.
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Chortle on March 18, 2005, 09:09:00 AM
Siaf, I’ve read a few of your posts previously and enjoyed them. The studied indifference or nonchalance, whatever you want to call it, you’ve displayed here though is more similar to the right wing knee jerkers I thought you loathed.

I may be out of order but you really should read the f***ing article first before pronouncing on it. You may well be right with the whole medal critique but whatever social customs you and I may share when we don’t act on our impulses, no doubt this guy doesn’t. I think he may be the genuine article.
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Haele on March 18, 2005, 09:20:08 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Bodhi
sure, there are biscuits for forum noobs, plus plenty of arse and boobies.  


(http://www.tekforums.co.uk:81/style_emoticons/default/cheers.gif)
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Masherbrum on March 18, 2005, 09:46:15 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Siaf__csf
Greencloud it would help if you would take the time to spell correctly and read/understand the posts.

Let me repeat: Usually awards and medals are worshipped only by sidestanders, the ones who earn them often couldn't care less. In fact, many warheroes I've seen have commented they don't care about the medals. They care how they're treated post-war. [/B]


Hey Lancelot, that isn't even a word.  BTW, did you feel your sword impale you when you tripped on the pebble?

Karaya
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Skydancer on March 18, 2005, 09:50:27 AM
Indeed he is the real article. A VC is a very special medal.

Siaf is not wrong though. We had a series here on TV about VC winners a while back. Many of those still alive to tell the tale seemed very nonplussed about the medal. Some even stated that in their opinion they were not sure why what they'd done was considered VC material, and what all the fuss was about. Most real heroes are very humble.
Many VC winners died whilst carrying out their noble deeds.

So before you villify Siaf think on what he actualy meant. He was not as I see it being disrespectfull. Merely pointing out what he has observed to be the case. Also it did seem that the serviceman in question was indeed fighting for his life in a coma. How fantastic that he is not and what a brave chap.

Pvte Beharry

"I was just doing my job," he said yesterday. "I was just thinkiof the guys in the vehicle and the guys behind me."
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Chortle on March 18, 2005, 10:47:22 AM
Its really easy Skydancer, Siafs first post suggested that as the guy was in a coma the medal was essentially some kind of bourgeois act to encourage future acts of outstanding heroics on behalf of the proles in an unjust war.  No doubt there is some merit in that, but dismissing what this guy did with out even reading the freakin article beggars belief.

I then suggested that the view, essentially that the peasants will only be encouraged to act gallantly for pretty ribbons is as repugnant as his instant dismissal as this award as being bogus. Gutter and stars spring to mind.
Title: Soldier wins VC for Iraq bravery
Post by: Momus-- on March 18, 2005, 10:52:06 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Chortle

I then suggested that the view, essentially that the peasants will only be encouraged to act gallantly for pretty ribbons is as repugnant as his instant dismissal as this award as being bogus. Gutter and stars spring to mind.


Given that historically, around 90% of VCs have been awarded posthumously, I wouldn't count the prospect of winning one as much of an inducement to gallantry.