The death of a hero - laser free post.
Last month a hero passed away.
Harry Patch, the last remaining English soldier to have served in the trenches of WWI died at the age of 111. Today was his funeral. I heard a report about this on the radio as I travelled home tonight. In the same report there was talk of allowing Ronnie Biggs out of prison effectively to die with dignity. What dignity does he deserve? A true hero has passed from our midst - one who hid the horrors that he endured in his mind for longer than many of us will live, and helped to afford freedom to us all here in the UK that Biggs and others care to abuse.
Mr Patch was lucky to have come away from the conflict of the war with his life, many were not so lucky, but in this man there became an important symbol of peace and reconciliation. He was lucky, but so were we that it was he who became the last Tommy. The first time I became aware of him, on a tv documentary, I was in tears listening to what he spoke of. I have the utmost respect for any soldier and doubt I would have the mettle to go to battle if I were conscripted as he was while still a teenager. However it seems that today, a soldier needs counselling at the mere sight of a gun, yet thousands of people came back from the wars of the 20th century and just got on with thier lives concealing horrors that we can not begin to comprehend and supressing them for a lifetime.
These people are what I define as heros.
Rest in peace Mr Patch, I will remember you every Sept 22.
Rob
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is but one example... a total missuse of the real meaning of the word.
