Piddingworth Greg Benton |
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| 'Piddingworth...where St. George's Cross is not yet banned.' --Mark Steyn |
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| Thank you very much for your support! |
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| May God give you the strength & courage to do your Duty... Rose West Leonard |
| GET THEM NOW... BEFORE THEY'RE BANNED! |
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| No greater love has anyone than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15.13) |
| A Son Goes To War |
| It was a recent privilege for me to enjoy a conversation and offer a message of prayerful good-will to a father, and PiddFriend, whose son, age 26, is being sent to Afghanistan this week. This young soldier is from the Lincoln & Welland Regiment, in the Niagara region of Ontario, and he is joined with a number of others of his unit to be attached to the Royal Canadian Regiment. At the same time, whilst our soldiers are tending to their kit and joining in moments with their families for a farewell, most other father's sons and daughters are preparing to go to school or university or begin a 'new job' in some place. Life goes on, and the prospect of becoming a soldier has not been the kind of priority that it once was. What was a 'given' a generation ago, is not so today. Men who join the Army and go to war are somewhat and relatively rare these days. There was a time, perhaps during the second world war,when a whole town or village would come out to greet and cheer their local regiment as the 'lads' (and lassies too!) departed on the train for for unseen shores. There were just as many tears, of course, but also much hope, upheld by a confident faith. Today, it is more the norm to shy away from the limelight where the now-ever-present ridicule from the lunatic fringes seems inevitable. Our 'citizen' soldiers make their way without the kind of public fanfare that their fathers and grandfathers knew. There have been som 'rallies' in some places as part of a general 'support the troops' movement, but the intimacy between a regiment and the community from which it is built is not apparent these days. Indeed, when the soldiers return 'home'.if they have survived, there is no great welcome by the local folk. It would seem the only time that a soldier is 'celebrated' is if he comes back dead. Indeed, the outpouring of emotion for the fallen soldier is followed and televised and commented upon, often with a political twist and in a manner that generally misunderstands the meaning and purpose of the lives and deaths of the fallen as well as the devotion of the military families from which they came. Military families, servicemen & women, and veterans understand the meaning of war and hate it even if they understand it's occasional necessity. This comes, not from some high ideology, but from their citizenship; their love for their country and the preciousness of freedom. It takes a particular strength of character and devotion to duty for the volunteer soldier to offer his life for the sake of 'Queen and Country' today. Indeed, how many of this soldier's contemporaries contemplate or even recognise the principle of sacrifice for the sake of a cause greater than themselves? The Lincoln & Welland Regiment's motto is: Non Nobis Sed Patriae (Not for Ourselves, but for our Country). Hardly the slogan of this generation. What makes today's soldier particularly special as they undertake the responsibilities that once were a 'given' in previous generations is that their service comes more from a deep personal desire than it does the 'call' to serve. Surely this is a testament to their family, their upbringing and the example of their parents. Indeed,our soldier of this regiment also has the enthusiastic support of his two sisters; one of whom is a nurse and ardent participant in the 'Support Our Troops' campaign in Ottawa. I asked the father about any fears or misgivings his son or the family had about the mission in a war zone. He replied that, although there were obviously thoughts about the worse that could happen, they were very confident and adamant towards the good purpose of tasks at hand. He is a man of faith. They all are proud of their son and brother. At 26, he is older than some of the others deployed with their youthful 'lack of fear' and a sense of bravado as they are sent against the enemy. Wasn't it always so? This young man's regiment has seen battle before, having morphed from the beginning with 'Butler's Rangers' against the rebels of the American colonies during the American 'Revolution'and in the War of 1812. From the Great War and World War II, the regiment has earned twenty-six Battle Honours. I salute him and his regiment. May he and his comrades go forward with strength and courage to do their Duty. Please pray for these men and women, and all those in far away places, who have offered their lives on our behalf and for that which is right and good. May they return safely home to the families that cherish them; as should we all. G.B. 1Sept08) Note: This fine soldier was wounded in Afghanistan but was able to complete his tour. He has since returned to Canada where he is undergoing further military training and getting married! G.B. 11 Sept 09 |
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