Would you fight and die for your country?

Well, we do have a choice, in a way. No one forced me to join. But of course, once you are in, thats it. You can't pick and chose which wars you are ready to die in and which you are not.

But there is a difference between simply haveing to do your job, and being ready to die for the cause your country says its sending you to war for.

I'm here simply doing my job. Does not mean i agree with the reason for the war, and i certaintly ain't ready to die for it. But, as you say, thats no longer my choice to make.

Munken, as urghi says, thats not the sort of question one usually asks. But, i will answer it simply. What was it like, scary as fuck alot of the time. And no, i never shot anyone. In fact, the saturday just gone was the first time i've ever fired a shot that was not on the range. And i didn't kill anyone then either.

 

Im with you on that Bish no disagreement from me.

Its the way its always been I suppose.

And for all the years I served, I never had to draw MY weapon in anger, apart from a pick axe handle on the TGWU strike, escorting a fuel tanker back in 80 I think it was, and I didnt agree with that either, me old man would have called me a scab, but I wasnt about to lose my wagon either....

 

Munken -

As one who is a citizen of a country that hasn't had to solve political debate through "other forms of enforcement", for many a year, congratulations to you, and your countrymen.

However, not all of us are that fortunate, and as Bish states, once one joins up with in the armed forces of the nation in which they reside, they are then relegated to a completely different set of rules. Civilian court ends, and military court begins.

To have asked one if they have "ever shot anyone", etc., at least to me, is a ridiculous question to inquire upon. Do you really think that necessary?

Engagement during combat of hostiles is not something that most people encounter during their entire life span. Those that have, usually don't care to discuss it. It's not like the role playing one enjoys during the playing of a computer game where by if one's own "protracted self" ends up being "taken out", one can simply hit the reset key and begin anew.

Bish can, and has answered for himself, but to restate what he has said, yes, combat, in any form, anywhere on the globe "is scary as f**k". Let's hope that you are not required to experience it.

Hope you get back to England soon Bish. Keep your powder dry, and your head down.

Bill

[ 18. July 2003, 03:30 PM: Message edited by: Bill Smith ]

 

Sorry 'bout the post, didn't think first. *Post deleted*

Had heard about the things happening on Northern Ireland and just wanted to hear Bish's story but i realise that unrespectable of me. I'm sorry.

 

Accepted. There is no story though. Not one at least thats any different from thousands of others.

 

By your side all the way mate. Sorry I wasn't here to say something in support earlier.

PS--Another small pack of goodies is in the mail.

 

If another country were to invade any part of Britain anywhere in the world, I would sign up and go and fight until they had been defeated or I was dead.

 

Wow! You must have really had to dig for this dead thread LOL. If you read some of the other simillar more recent threads there appears to be a trend for some of the more younger posters here who have expressed a desire to actually fight against thier own country where they had been born.

 

Of course


Dutchie

 

Interesting thread.

 

I have to answer in traditional Chief fashion:

Yes. Anything else?

 

Gotta love the CPOs.

 

Yes, I would I fight and die for my country.

Would I have to exercise my own morality? Certainly. We frequently discuss on this forum because it is WWII the actions of those who did not; and I am not talking where it was survival. I hope we learned that it is not always, my country - right or wrong. Unfortunately though, sometimes it is in this situation we hope my country has made the best possible choice and I will support it by putting myself in harm's way.

Would I fight and die in the defense of my country? Yes - without doubt, and I suppose that would also mean if someone tried to subvert it from an open democracy. But as Peppy mentioned in his much earlier post, it would be better to fight and live for my country. I would be my duty and choice to honour those who did fight and die. There is a lot on the subject in the thread "a soldier takes the romance out of war"

 

It's seems like a fashion to dig up ancient threads, but since this one is interesting I say why not ? As to the answer it : would we have the choice anyway if drafted? If it is as a volunteer? it would have to be for a good cause or I wouldn't volunteer for the first place. Now if the country is physically threatened, yes/ possibly (I mean how many of us would dive on a grenade to save others, whereas survival instinct tells you to dive the other way? It's easy to say on a forum, to do it for real is another matter. ). It's not a choice to die for your country, it's more like being prepared to do so if fates has chosen you and accept this possibility. Survival instinct and hope keep you going. Sometimes you will be ready to go against this and give your life for others, comarades of arms, family, innocents etc... you won't know until it happens. Hopefully that day you'll shoot first.

 

yes, yes I would.

 

If my country was ever invaded by a foreign power I would fight hard and ferocious until my cold dead fingers cant cock the gun anymore. I have a few friends who think the same way.

 

I have been trying for several days to compose a worthy addition to this thread. Rarely am I at a loss for words but there are a lot of levels to this inquiry. Upon reflection, I hope I would do whatever was morally right under whatever circumstances were presented to me.

I know my Father has told me on the few occasions that he has brought up being a young man in 1944 that everyone he knew signed up and everyone he knew wanted to sign up. I hope that if I were an American faced with that decision during WWII that I would have quickly volunteered. I like to think that I would have. At the same time, I like to think that if I had been a German during WWII, I would somehow have recognized that the German war effort was immoral and that I would not have fought. I am not sure what that makes me but I do think that the question of whether any of us would fight and die for our countries must be placed in the moral context of why we are being asked to fight.

 

It is a very interesting question. Would I be willing to fight and die for my country. I am struggling with the question. If my country was invaded (Not likley with such friendly neighbors to the north, and the biggest issue to the south is boarder jumpers) I would like to say yes. I would much rather take Pattons philosophy and make them die for thiers. However, untill it happens who actually knows. Untill an invasion of the US occurs who is really to say, I would stand up and fight. When the enemy is outside your bedroom window talking and you are inside, outnumbered twenty to one, who really wants to admit that no, I would not fight, but hide in the basement. I would rather just answer this question with a statement. Right or wrong, I would much rather just serve my country.

 

I volunteered for service in peacetime. I chose my path as far as the military went (naval nuclear power). In doing so I became an engineer (electrician). I could have gone Army and been a Warrant Officer flying helicopters or, could have chosen some highly techinal job in the Air Force. But, I signed up for Naval nuclear power... right or wrong.
I ended up staying nearly 27 years active and reserve in the US Navy. As a Chief my job was to make sure things got done. I was also looked upon as a techincal expert in the fields of electricity, electronics and, nuclear power. No one that knew me in those years would say I was anything but exactly that. I was the "go to guy." I was the guy that could fix what couldn't be fixed. I was the guy that knew why some piece of machinery wasn't working right and could fix it with nothing but a pocket knife.
The naval shipyard shops (particularly the electrical ones) got where they dumped the repairs they couldn't do on me. I was met at the airport by two fellow Chiefs in Bahrain the first time I went with "We've been waiting for you..." Because they had all sorts of problems with diesel generators.
There are Chiefs and then there are real Chiefs. I am the latter. The "Anchors" don't come off. And, in the long tradition of the US Navy you can "ask the Chief" and I'll have the right answer right now.
Serving my county is really secondary to serving my ship and the men I command. Few in the military are so altruistic as to be there serving their country first. They are there for various reasons but do their duty not to let their shipmates down...first and foremost.