The rain beat upon the tarmac as the all too familiar sight of a hearse graced the eyes of the mourning spectators who had turned out to pay their respects that morning. Images of a lost youth were etched into their memories in those passing moments as the vehicle drew to a halt. Photos of the young man, the child, were mounted upon a mass of flowers and there was a moment of deafening silence as these were removed and the coffin was lifted from the hearse onto the shoulders of the pole bearers. Those were the moments when it became real for those who had gathered there. There was no glass or flowers now to separate them from the harsh reality that it was now time to lay this poor lamb to rest.
The priest came out to greet them. He was appropriately dressed in his robes and he had the appropriate expression of sympathy upon his face. But behind his forlorn eyes there was nothing. It was an inexplicable emptiness that seemed to be uniform among the guests. Emptiness that was born of solitude and grief but also of guilt. Were they guilty because they should have stopped him from going to war or were they ashamed that they could live in a society where they could sit back and let this happen?
Dear K
There are few words that will describe what I have witnessed. Over time, days have just merged into one. My strength has gone, neither mentally or physically can I bear the strain any longer. How can I stay here and fight for a cause that I do not believe justified?
I shot a man today. I felt a wave of jealously as I watched him fall to the ground in agony. Not because he was in pain, but because he was a free man. He no longer had to succumb himself fighting in a war built only upon principles of greed and thoughtless patriotism
Thoughts of you and our beautiful children will keep me going.
Stay Strong
Love M x
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There was a certain anxiety in the air as the 22 fresh faced recruits for the Duke of Lancaster's regiment boarded the plane that day. Nerves wracked their bodies as they walked upon the troubled sands of a war torn Iraq. None could have known at that point what fate would bring upon that group and for certain none would have surmised that the 22 would soon be 3.
For many, this was the first experience of combat and for others it was almost normality now as they had been backwards and forwards a number of times. Michael McBride was one of the newcomers and this was obvious to the other soldiers as he wore an expression of deep terror upon his face that was identical to every other soldier that came to be in his situation: A man with a young family at home that didn't know quite what he'd let himself in for.
Record of Soldier Attendance
Name: Pvt. Michael McBride
Age: 25
Nationality: White- British
Height: 5"11
Build: Average- Athletic
Dental Records: Attached , see overleaf.
Medical Notes: Suffers from Asthma , has been known to also suffer from anxiety and is of a nervous disposition.
Confirmed &Signed: