Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen 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 soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt 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."
Pride not in medals but fellow soldiers, says ex-serviceman
Saturday, December 15, 2007
KUCHING: Former Ranger's Kanang Langkau, the only Malaysian soldier to be conferred two gallantry awards, is an unassuming hero. To him, fighting the communists and shedding blood during battle was part of his duty as a soldier. āI never even thought about getting a medal. My pride is not in the medals I received but in my fellow soldiers who fought alongside me, especially those who died or who lost their limbs,ā he said.
In February 1980, Kanang was part of a platoon from the 8th Battalion Rangers involved in combat with communists in Tanah Hitam, Perak. He launched an attack in which five communists were killed and one captured although he was also shot thrice.
Unassuming hero: Kanang showing his Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa certificate after receiving in Kuching as 3rd Brigade commanding officer Brig-Jen Jeyabalan S looks on. For this, he was awarded the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa, the nationās highest gallantry award, in June 1981.
For an earlier exploit in the jungles of Korbu, Perak, in an attack which saw three communists killed, Kanang was awarded the Pingat Gagah Berani in June 1980. āThese are incidents that I will never forget. Sometimes, thinking about my fallen comrades still brings tears to my eyes,ā he said after receiving two certificates of appreciation for his service to the country at the 3rd Brigadeās 48th anniversary parade here yesterday.
Now 67, Kanang joined the Sarawak Rangers in 1962 as an Iban tracker and was transferred to the 8th Battalion Rangers in 1973. āI did not have any ambition of becoming a soldier because at that time only two or three people from my village had joined the army. I didnāt know what being a soldier was all about. āIn December 1961, there was an army recruitment drive so I went for it and I was accepted,ā he recalled.
After serving 21 years, he retired as a warrant officer in 1986 and now spends his time relaxing and looking after his grandchildren. Married to Helen Latai, he has six children, one of whom has followed him into the Army and is a bombardier with the Royal Artillery Regiment based in Temerloh, Pahang
