Its taken 55 years but finally

[Marko]

I posted a thread about this subject awhile back, with a link to a dramatisation of the event,

It was a netfix production. it showed the poor way the troops were treated even though they showed great bravery in the face of overwhelming odds.

Any way the survivors have finally been honoured for there service to the UN and country.

 

http://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/newsireland/after-55-years-irish-soldiers-awarded-medals-for-siege-of-jadotville/ar-BBG2XWq?li=AA4ZnA&ocid=ientp

 

Edited December 3, 2017 by Marko

[Ssnake]

At last.

 

Makes you wonder if there had been a change of mind without the film bringing the subject to attention.

[Mirzayev]

@Marko I remember watching the film you posted. It inspired me to buy some books on the subject and read up on it. 

 

I'm glad these heroes finally got the recognition they deserved, and that their story finally become known.

[Hedgehog]

We used every bullet twice!

[Ssnake]

Quite a feat if you think about it - and it wasn't even a vast exaggeration.

[Nike-Ajax]

Sadly its a recurring theme... Just like when Jean Chretien, devoid of honour and even a shred of decency, ordered that nothing be said of Canadian soldiers bravery and highest standards of professionalism in their part of meeting Operation Medak Pocket:

 

"In 1993 while the former Yugoslavia disintegrated, the UN was sent into keep various ethnic groups from killing each other.  A Canadian contingent found itself part of a UN force separating Croat and Serb military forces.  The Croats really wanted to move the Serbs out of the area, and didn’t think much of the Canadians who were preventing them from doing it.  When the Croats attacked, the resulting action was the biggest battle that Canadian troops had taken part in since the Korean War.  The professionalism and ability of the Canadian forces to rout a 3-1 larger hostile force, and walk away with no fatal causalities, should have been the pride and joy of the Canadian government.

 

The battle should have been publicized to the world to show that UN forces were a force to be reckoned with, that couldn’t be pushed around, a force that warring parties, like rest of the squabbling groups in Yugoslavia, should respect.  But the then Prime Minister of Canada, Jolly Jean Chretien, put a gag order on it for nine years, effectively covering up the engagement because the ruling party was afraid of the reaction of the Canadian public (who thought their government were a bunch peace-loving hippies and not bloodthirsty warriors) and Canada’s large Croatian community."

 

https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2013/09/14/medak_pocket_canadas_forgotten_battle.html

 

 

"War is too serious a matter to leave to soldiers. " -- Georges Clemenceau

 

 

 

“Politics is too important to be left to the politicians,” -- John F. Kennedy, Jr.

 

 

 

"War and politics are too important, serious and complex to be left to the politicians. A majority of whom´s primary qualification is, that they are the least incompetent and compromised of a herd of self-inflated, self-serving Simpletons with an attention span lower than that of a six-year old child with ADHD." -- Nike-Ajax

 

 

Courage and self-sacrifice should be honored and celebrated as the Ageless Virtues that they are.

Edited December 18, 2017 by Nike-Ajax

[71st_AH_Rob]

My Father, who joined the RCAF in 1942 and retired in 1969 didn't believe me when I told him things some of my friends and some of my troops told me when they got back...

 

 

And leading up to it

 

http://www.history.ca/100-years-of-remembrance/gallery/sector-sarajevo/

[Marko]

Kudos.

To the courage and professionalism of the Canadian troops.

 

 

 

 

[Nike-Ajax]

And the same to the Irish !

[Ssnake]

...and the Danes, see OP Bøllebank.

[Nike-Ajax]

Yes ... and for ALL soldiers who have given their life or health protecting the lifes of others.

 

In fact for those of us that are religious, then might I suggest that we say a prayer for those people. And their families.

 

And for everybody: that we give thought to those who suffer and die so we the lucky ones can live in peace, and help a veteran if you see one in need.