10-Apr-2003, 11:56 PM
quote:
Originally posted by William R
Glad you`re back Linda.
Thanks, Bill! [
] I've been visiting every day, but must have missed tha grand re-opening yesterday as the forum was still down when I logged on in the morning.I shudder to think how I would cope if I was forcibly displaced from my home. My father's best friend's daughter married a Yugoslavian. Come the Balkan conflict, he went off to fight with the Serbs, whilst their home was taken by Croats. Janet was forced to flee with their 12 year-old son with just the clothes they stood up in. Travelling only under cover of darkness, they managed to escape the country and hitch to somewhere where Janet could phone her Mum in England and get some money wired out so she could get home. She had no idea for months if her husband was alive or dead. Luckily Miro survived too and now, a few years down the line, they are living back in Croatia. I can't imagine the terrors they went through.As for soldiers looking back on their time in trouble spots - I don't think any of them forgets their experiences. My Great-Uncle used to talk about landing in Avranches on D-Day plus 1. My Great-Grandfather used to tell my Mum about his time in Gallipoli. My former boss talked about his time in Cyprus. A US friend talks about his time in Vietnam. Of course to any ordinary soldier prior to say the 1970's, being sent abroad to fight was probably the first time they'd even been abroad. So even those in say the catering corps, who may not have seen any active skirmishing, would have experienced a massive culture shock being sent to the Far East or North Africa. A thing like that sticks with a chap for life. My Great-Uncle could never settle back to life in civvy street afterwards - having gained a bit of promotion and responsibilty in the army, he couldn't settle back to life as a dog's body in the UK - he emigrated to New Zealand in 52.In this country people of my generation have led our lives generally in peace and freedom. Most of us cannot imagine the traumas soldiers go through during active service. Having seen the things they've seen, it's amazing so many former soldiers can get on with their lives so well afterwards. As Bill says, the bad memories linger on even 50 years down the line.
Originally posted by William R
Glad you`re back Linda.
Thanks, Bill! [
] I've been visiting every day, but must have missed tha grand re-opening yesterday as the forum was still down when I logged on in the morning.I shudder to think how I would cope if I was forcibly displaced from my home. My father's best friend's daughter married a Yugoslavian. Come the Balkan conflict, he went off to fight with the Serbs, whilst their home was taken by Croats. Janet was forced to flee with their 12 year-old son with just the clothes they stood up in. Travelling only under cover of darkness, they managed to escape the country and hitch to somewhere where Janet could phone her Mum in England and get some money wired out so she could get home. She had no idea for months if her husband was alive or dead. Luckily Miro survived too and now, a few years down the line, they are living back in Croatia. I can't imagine the terrors they went through.As for soldiers looking back on their time in trouble spots - I don't think any of them forgets their experiences. My Great-Uncle used to talk about landing in Avranches on D-Day plus 1. My Great-Grandfather used to tell my Mum about his time in Gallipoli. My former boss talked about his time in Cyprus. A US friend talks about his time in Vietnam. Of course to any ordinary soldier prior to say the 1970's, being sent abroad to fight was probably the first time they'd even been abroad. So even those in say the catering corps, who may not have seen any active skirmishing, would have experienced a massive culture shock being sent to the Far East or North Africa. A thing like that sticks with a chap for life. My Great-Uncle could never settle back to life in civvy street afterwards - having gained a bit of promotion and responsibilty in the army, he couldn't settle back to life as a dog's body in the UK - he emigrated to New Zealand in 52.In this country people of my generation have led our lives generally in peace and freedom. Most of us cannot imagine the traumas soldiers go through during active service. Having seen the things they've seen, it's amazing so many former soldiers can get on with their lives so well afterwards. As Bill says, the bad memories linger on even 50 years down the line.