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."
Ingatan, UMNO, telah beranak Bersatu dan Pejuang, geng yang sama berkitar semula, memainkan Veteran melebihi 60 tahun bergilir-gilir. Selama ini mereka tahu tanam tebu di bibir sahaja. Selama ini mereka anggap kami sebagai "simpanan tetap" pilihanraya. Oleh yang demikian tahu la, mana nak pangkah pada pilihanraya akan datang
Malaysiakini : Ahli Parlimen Bukit Bendera Wong Hon Wai mencadangkan kerajaan
menubuhkan jawatankuasa parlimen rentas parti untuk meneliti isu-isu
yang dibangkitkan oleh veteran Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM).Wong
berkata cadangan itu wajar untuk dilaksanakan sekiranya Menteri
Pertahanan Hishamuddin Hussein keberatan untuk membuat semakan terhadap
tuntutan itu.
Wong berkata jawatankuasa itu boleh juga mendengar
maklum balas ATM, Pejabat Peguam Negara, Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam dan
Perbendaharaan, selain mencadangkan penyelesaian atau penyelarasan serta
pindaan undang-undang.
“Veteran-veteran ini telah mengemukakan
beberapa tuntutan kepada kerajaan, antaranya menuntut pelarasan dan
pelaksanaan pencen kepada veteran yang tidak menerima faedah itu.
“Mereka turut menuntut pengampunan kepada bekas tentera yang
diberhentikan kerana salah laku, pencen anggota sukarela yang dikerah
sepenuh masa dan mengkaji semula pencen hilang upaya veteran.
Semalam, lebih 1,000 pesara tentera dari seluruh negara berkumpul di Tugu Negara, Kuala Lumpur, bagi menyuarakan rasa tidak puas hati melibatkan kebajikan mereka.
Dianjurkan
kumpulan yang dinamakan sebagai Reunion Veteran, mereka berhimpun
seawal lapan pagi sehingga tengah hari tadi, dengan peserta yang
rata-ratanya terdiri daripada kalangan warga emas di bawah panas
matahari.
Mereka menuntut pencen bagi tentara yang bersara
sebelum 2013 diselaraskan, serta hak untuk menerima pencen setelah
sekurang-kurangnya 10 tahun berkhidmat.
Menurut mereka, bawah skim
sekarang, kebanyakan daripada lebih 300,000 pesara tentera hidup susah
dan termasuk dalam kategori berpendapatan 40 peratus terkebawah B40.
Sementara
itu, polis dilaporkan telah memulakan siasatan terhadap penganjuran
perhimpunan semalam bawah Seksyen 9(1) Akta Perhimpunan Aman 2012 kerana
berhimpun tanpa kebenaran.
