Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Leading to Malaysia "Tunku Yes, Sukarno No" Friday, Sep. 6, 1963
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Happy Malaysia Day !!!Events leading to Malaysia Day.
In steamy, palm-shaded Kuching, capital of Sarawak, the day's biggest excitement is the firing of the 8 p.m. cannon on the lawn of government house. "What a dull place," said a United Nations official. "I don't know how we're going to survive three weeks here." At the insistence of Indonesia's President Sukarno, an eight-member U.N. team is present to "ascertain" whether Sarawak and North Borneo really want to join the Federation of Malaysia, which Sukarno bitterly opposes. As the U.N. ascertainers began to sample opinions around Sarawak, they were nearly stoned, not bored, to death.
The Royal Artillery (RA) gun position for an L5 Pack Howitzer at the A Company, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), forward base at Stass. The British manned L5 gun has been placed into position using a Belvedere heavy lift helicopter from 66 Squadron RAF and it has been placed on steel Marsden matting sheets to stop it from bogging down in heavy weather. The site is surrounded by sandbags and more fortified and camouflaged positions in the base can be seen in the background including an observation tower. The unidentified soldier in shorts and thongs (left) is walking along a pathway that has been made from short lengths of chord wood or bamboo which have been lashed together with wire. The gun has been positioned so it can be traversed through 360 degrees by the crew, and it can fire a 15 kg projectile at any point on the compass out to a maximum range of 10,000 metres. It can fire a variety of ammunition, including illumination and high explosive and is generally used for providing fire support to the patrolling Australian soldiers. Credit line: Donor H Spradbrow
In the Chinese-dominated town of Sibu, the Red-infiltrated Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) staged a demonstration that turned into a 90-minute, stone-throwing riot. Only after police fired warning shots to disperse the mob could the U.N. team sit down —amidst broken glass in a Methodist schoolhouse—to interview local councilors. In Miri, Sarawak's oil-refining center, 3,000 Chinese-SUPPorted youths, wielding stones and bottles, screamed anti-Malaysia slogans until the police opened fire, wounding two, and tear gas forced them to scatter.
A review of the 4th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (4RAR), Honour Guard by the Governor of Malacca, Tun Haji Abdul (in traditional dress) and Malek Bin Yusef (following). Walking next to the Governor is the Commanding Officer of 4RAR, 3328 Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) David Scott Thomson, MC, (with raised sword). Lt Col Thomson saw service during the Second World War as VX8275 and VX146397 with the rank of Lieutenant and served with the Australian Staff Corps. He served in Korea as a Major commanding A Company, 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) in 1952 where he was wounded in action. He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions in Operation Blaze against Hill 227. He also served with the Australian Ancillary Unit in Korea during 1953. He was Mentioned in Dispatches on 16 May 1967, during the Indonesian Confrontation in Borneo. During the Vietnam War he made five official visits to South Vietnam from 1966-1969. Walking behind Lt Col Thomson is 335129 Captain (Capt) Ian James Hearn who later served in South Vietnam with 9th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (9RAR) in 1969. Capt Hearn was awarded the National Medal for long service on 14 July 1977 and again on 9 March 1991. Credit line: Rodney Curtis, Donor
Date Set. Such outbursts will slightly delay but not derail the formation of Malaysia, originally scheduled for Aug. 31. In last summer's general elections, voters in both Sarawak and North Borneo decisively defeated anti-federation parties. Although Indonesia's shadow looms large, the Borneo people know they have nothing to gain from Djakarta but economic chaos and demagoguery. Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman and British Colonial Secretary Duncan Sandys, who hastily flew to the scene, last week set Sept. 16 as the new birth date for the federation —two days after the U.N. mission's findings will be made public. Both are sure that the U.N. will find a clear majority in favor of Malaysia, but they insist that the federation will come into being regardless of the report. The British last week also turned over internal self-government to Borneo and Sarawak. The source in full....
