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."
IN the crisp September air of 1973, after presiding over the Sultan
of Perak's birthday parade at the Malay College grounds in Kuala
Kangsar, life took an unexpected turn.
An army signal (telegram) from
the Defence Ministry (Mindef) arrived in my Taiping office, bearing news
that would alter the course of my life — an invitation to enrol in a
15-month course of postgraduate defence technology in England the
following month. Little did I know that this journey would unfold into a
love story woven across continents.
1973 - Left to Right : Lt Mutalib, Lt xxx, Lt Pharrurazi, Lt Salleh Karmo, Lt xxx, Lt xxx, Lt Zahari, Lt xxx ( xxx denotes lost in my memory) - Officers of 2nd Engineers
The announcement stirred a whirlwind of emotions. Despite the feeling
of pride at having been selected, I couldn't stop the tinge of sadness
that crept in. I had found the love of my life, my own Cinderella, and
we had plans to marry by the year end.
The departure date to London loomed large — Sept 27, 1973. It was a
Hobson's choice, a dilemma borne out of my King's commission received in
1963. Would my beloved Cinderella remain faithful during my one-year
absence, separated by a daunting 10,000 kilometres?
Swift decisions were necessary. I hatched a plan to get engaged and
register the marriage before my departure. The quartermaster of 2
Engineer Squadron, Lieutenant Abu Bakar, agreed to be my witness.
However, time constraints foiled the registration as I rushed to
Mindef in Kuala Lumpur to complete the necessary documentation and
collect the air tickets from the Qantas Office in Jalan Ampang.
The fear that someone might sweep her off her feet in my absence
weighed heavily on my mind. Yet, it also became a test of her
faithfulness.
Before catching the train to Kuala Lumpur, I seized a moment at the
Taiping Lake Gardens to propose. Serenading her with the familiar
strains of Green Island Serenade, a melody from a Sandakan concert during my Sabah tour, I wanted to fortify our bond before the impending separation.
On the night of Sept 27, 1973, my family bade me farewell at Subang
International Airport. Little did I know that this departure would mark
the beginning of an extraordinary journey — both professionally and
personally.Arriving at Heathrow Airport at 8am on Oct 27, 1973, after a 17-hour flight (including a transit in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates) I was welcomed by Major Hashim Belanda, the Malaysian assistant defence adviser who assisted with logistics.
Two days at a hotel in East London ensued for necessary documentation at the Malaysian High Commission. A two-hour train journey took me to Swindon, approximately 120km west of London.
The administration officer (a retired warrant officer called RO2) received me at the train station and drove me to the Royal Military College of Science (RMCS) at Shrivenham, a suburb 12km north of Swindon towards Oxford.
I was taken to Kitchener Hall Officers Mess (one of two four-storey blocks of 200 rooms) and booked into my room. My army batman was one Ms Forty, who looked after my domestic affairs as per army protocol. For example, she brought me hot English tea at 5.30am daily, made my bed, cleaned my room and looked after my uniforms.
The course started with 42 officers with the rank of majors and captains from the British and Commonwealth armies. However, a Pakistani major and I were the only two university graduate engineers.
