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."
I remember Chinese New Year in Pahang, Ops Campur, moving everday non stop. My Boss at that time was 2Lt Wong Heng Ging, I was attached to his company, my boys were already deployed as I just came back from a course.
Captain Kamal Hashim was the IO, he was giving instructions, once in a while the CO, Lt Col George Edward Simon came on the air and told us to keep up the pace.
The distances we covered were great, we even came across "Dead Letter Boxes", where the Communists Terrorists would leave messages for their men.
The aim of this operations was to prevent the Communists from contacting the Min Yuen in the jungles of Pahang, Communists too celebrated Chinese New Year. They needed supplies, such as food, Ma Ling ham and stewed pork and much more, new recruits, medical supplies.
The Chinese in my Battalion, Seventh Rangers did NOT celebrate CNY!
That day was the eve of Chinese New Year, we were based up. I was still up at night. All of us were very tired our cams were soaked like as though we had a dip. Of course we did NOT bathe. It was pitch dark in the deep jungles of Pahang.
Suddenly I heard the noise of a can being opened, "sssssstup". That was my OC secretively opening a can of Guiness Stout.
"Bloody hell sir, you are drinking that by yourself?" The response was, "Shhh Tambi, don' talk so loud, Chinese New Year la have to celebrate." I was wondering how many cans he had, I asked him he said only two cans, I did not believe him.
"Sir, if you do not share with me, I will wake everyone up and tell them you have lots of stouts, you won't get to drink another drop."
Anyway I blackmailed him for two cans. He relented. That was a very memorable Chinese New Year for me. He had 6 cans. Okay fair he lugged them for miles.
When we did the infamous Gonzales Lasak from Kampong Bonggor in Gerik to Batu Melintang in Kelantan which was 122 Km by road.
It took us 7 days 7 hours, where we broke the Army record. The distance on the map as the crow flies is 80 clicks. The Infantry is all terrain, we have to cross country, except at the lake in Banding we used the bridge.
122 Km - Distance from Batu Melintang to Gerik Perak
2nd Lt Wong Heng Ging was map reading for us at the head of the column, he was bloody efficient, this time he did NOT carry any stouts. I was made to be the sweeper, coming at the rear of battalion column. I reined in 2nd Lt Ivan Lee Synn Leng to keep me company, as it was very lonely at the rear of a 500 men column.
Lt Col GE Simon was still commanding. The rear, us, would reach their location around 2000 hrs, stumbling and falling over each other in the pitch dark!!
The head of the column moves at around 0730 hrs while the rear moves at around 1000 hrs. They would normally stop at 1600 hrs.
We completed the whole route in 7 days and 7 hours. We broke the army record. I was the last man along with 2nd Lt Ivan Lee Synn Leng who crossed the finish line.
