Why Do We Still March? Why do you still march old man With medals on your chest? Why do you still grieve old man For those friends you laid to rest? Why do your eyes gleam old man When you hear those bugles blow Tell me why you cry old man For those days long ago. I'll tell you why I march, young man With medals on my chest I'll tell you why I grieve young man For those friends I laid to rest Through misty folds of gossamer silk Come visions of distant times When boys of very tender age Marched forth to distant climes So young they were, with blossom cheeks Their eyes shone bright and clear Scant knowledge of this sinful world Thought nought of hate or fear Their laughter rang through strange bare rooms Hardships, they were soon to know All they knew, was beyond their shores Was a deadly vicious foe They left behind their boring life They had nothing much to give so they laid their lives on the line so you, young man, would live With bayonet, gun and blossom cheeks The innocence of their youth They stood alone, with fearsome pride And perceived the awful truth The truth they learnt, they had to die (it's not easy when you're young) the gods of war had chosen them and stilled their youthful tongues The guns they crashed, the Stukas dived Shell tore their flesh asunder I smelt their blood, watched them die The war lords claimed their plunder And as these warrior gods passed by They smiled at their obscene death Gone were their apple-blossom cheeks Scorched by napalm burning breath! We buried them in a blanket shroud Their young flesh scorched and blacken A communal grave newly gouged In the blood-stained earth And you ask me why I march! Young man I march to remind you all But for those apple-blossom youths You would never have known freedom, at all. Bill Ridley
I am writing to you to give you an extract from a speech made by General Bill Slim when he was talking about his Sikh Regiments in Burma that may be use to you whenever anyone asks “why did you do it”? or what were you fighting for?. If you remember when we spoke to the students at Bournemouth University a question along these lines was asked. However the extract is as follows:- “If ever an army fought in a just cause we did. We coveted No man’s country; we wished to impose no form of government on any nation. We fought for the clean, the decent, the free things of life, for the right to live our lives in our own way, as others could live theirs, to worship God in what faith we chose, to be free in body and in mind and for our children to be free.” I personally think this says it all and it may be of use to us whenever we asked the question “Why did you do it?”
Roger Do you mind if I post this on Facebook on the Remembrance Forum and on another WW2 forum? Its really good and I think they will like it too..
Sapper; good comment from General Slim. Oggie, carry on. I "collected" it from somewhere else and make no claim on it. I always make a point of including the author's name when available though.
That bit was sent to me by my late but very dear friend Derek. Another RE company but "airstrips" It says it all.
Roger/ Sapper This should be sent to the idiot Gilmour while he completes his "Service" in the slammer Cheers
Roger/ Sapper This should be sent to the idiot Gilmour while he completes his "Service" in the slammer Cheers Spot on, Tom. A few years ago I spoke to an old veteran who had been receiving hassle from the local scumbags. I said to him, 'Doesn't it grieve you that after all you went through it turned out like this?' With no hesitation he said, 'No. I didn't do it for them. I did it for my mates.' Keith
Roger/ Sapper This should be sent to the idiot Gilmour while he completes his "Service" in the slammer Cheers Well said that man!
