We don't need another hero.....Tina Turner?

[Padraig OCinnead]

The last week has been a single repeating cycle of work, getting kids fed, washed and off to bed and then watching the History Channel for my D-Day fix. One thing that has struck me very keenly was the quality of civilian leadership in charge of USA, Britain. Not only were people like Churchill and Roosevelt instrumental in bringing the Free World through it's most uncertain times but the Monarchy added an International sense of common stubborn pride when they stayed in London and refused to take to safer climes as so many other countries Leadership did. Times where the people if not entire nations were but a hair width away from cracking under the strain of the relentless bombings of London, Paris and Stalingrad or reeling from the horrible sneak attack like Pearl Harbour. The right words were spoken at the right time. There are still good ones around, Cuomo and Giuliani come to mind but as does McCain.

While not watching the History Channel I am dutifully watching CBC or Global to follow the newest pitch from all the wankers who promise me different ways to Utopia but most of us real Canadians call it something else less PC. Is there any leader out there who can step out and just say the right words because the right time sure is now. Cannot Stephenville produce such a leader? What about Humboldt? Not every PM needs to be a big high fallutin lawyer or steamship company owning guy. What about senior military leaders? I mean if you can adequately manage 60,000 plus folks then what's a few dozen million more? All these guys sure sound alot alike to me. All their jowls quiver just so. Then I click to the next channel because I still don't understand which one is lying the least and looks like he might stick up to a few promises and not make too much of a fool of us again. It almost feels like that little line on the patient's heart monitor that goes blip.....blip. I wrote this last night but posted it today after supper and the Globe and Mail..............blip.......... Well mine is fading. Arrhythmia..

And another thing....

Speaking of heroes, 60 years ago today many people just like us were fighting in a crucial battle for life, as we know it. They served.. Can we?

 

[Andyd513]

Speaking of heroes, 60 years ago today many people just like us were fighting in a crucial battle for life, as we know it. They served.. Can we?

If there ever was another war to that scale, I believe many Canadians would serve. Doesn't look like we'll ever really have a WW3 though, thankfully! Its a guerilla war, and our freedom is being fought for by a smaller number of more well trained, skilled soldiers.

 

[bossi]

When I was in Afghanistan, soldiers from several allied countries remarked on how impressed they were with the Canadians.
It reminded me of something we used to joke about at Remembrance dinners, when the WWII guys would start using the 40 PSI finger and telling the current day troops that they didn't know anything ...
The feats, accomplishments, victories and heroics of our soldiers during the past wars were truly amazing, if you keep in mind that many of them only joined when war broke out (i.e. 1914 during WWI, which only gave them less than four years to "get it right" ... 1939 for WWII, which only gave them six years, more or less ...)

"Get to the point"?  Sure.
Our predecessors jumped into the breach, and won.
For the sake of argument, our present day Army already has somewhat of an advantage in training (and hopefully equipment - after all, our allies love stuff like our Coyote, IMPs, etc. ...)

And, speaking from the extremely narrow perspective of what I've seen in "peace time" soldiering ... our Army today carries on many of the finest traditions of yesteryear - leaders who actually lead their troops into harm's way, instead of sitting back safe and cozy, soldiers who would never let their buddies down, and so on ...

 

[Spr.Earl]

Mark we had the same comments from our Allies in Bosnia.
Chorolici was the Battle Group H.Q. also we housed Norwegians,Dutch,French,Brit,Yank and a few other odd's and sod's and nearly all said at one time or another "How did we do,the things that we did,with what we had?"   and all liked serving with us and complemented on our performance as Soldiers,I my self think it was our Mess Hall as food will anyone in the Army over.