Valuing our soldiers (and others)

I was pleased to see that the Government , after a lot of procrastination, is putting arrangements in hand to ensure that Iraqi interpreters, looking after our troops in Basra, are able to seek refuge in Great Britain at the end of their duties. I increasingly believe that we do not sufficiently recognise the efforts of our troops (and those who support and assist them).

This belief was reinforced on our recent trip to the US. On the last morning we visited Arlington Cemetery (pictured above).

Since the cemetery is so large and the weather was hot we opted to take the ‘tourmobile’, which drops one off at different spots and then comes round again 15 to 20 minutes later to take one on again. At the end of the tour the driver pointed out across a sea of white soldiers’ graves and told us that what we were looking at was the ‘price of freedom’. He then went on to invite a round of applause for anyone on the tourmobile who was either a veteran, in the military or related to a military family. Everyone responded enthusiastically.

Maybe you think this was a bit over the top, but can you imagine anything approximate happening here? Why only last week it was reported on the news that those trying to arrange events for Remembrance Sunday in November are finding official red tape increasingly difficult to negotiate, and the attitude of local authorities and other bodies obstructive. I find this very depressing, and am not surprised that the army is having difficultly attracting recruits.

( Travel notes! I have to say the main reason that I wanted to visit this area was to see Arlington House, the family home of the great Confederate General, Robert E Lee.

When Lee resigned from the Federal army at the beginning of the Civil War in order to fight on the Confederate side, the Yankees took their revenge by requisitioning his beautiful home and turning the garden into a military cemetery. Lee never saw his home in Arlington again. The military cemetery has greatly grown in size since the 1860’s and now incorporates thousands of graves, including those of the Kennedy brothers. Arlington House, which overlooks the Potomac River and Washington beyond, is currently being restored to its ante-bellum appearance)