Was It Worth the Sacrifice?

Sentinel, The; Stoke-on-Trent (UK) › June 20, 2007

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Sir, - Over the last four years, my wife and I have had the honour and privilege of attending the Annual Remembrance Dinner of the No99 Branch (Newcastle) Normandy Veterans' Association, which once again was organised most efficiently by the president, Major Bert Mitchell, and the committee. As we stood for the Normandy veterans' prayer, read by the chairman Mr Tom Berrisford, himself a veteran of the Normandy campaign, I could not help but see that a few more friendly faces were missing, as those standing to remember their comrades who made the ultimate sacrifice are now in their 80s or more. I wonder what those who made that sacrifice would say if they could return and see what has happened to this once-great country, to see the freedoms that they fought and died for frittered away by successive mamby pamby governments, to the faceless bureaucrats in Europe who now tell us what we can and cannot do. I am not a member of the BNP, but I admit to admiring some of their policies. I was nine when war broke out, and can remember how patriotic everyone felt. I looked around at the remaining few, and wondered what they thought of the way this country was going. Most of the MPs now sitting in their luxury in Westminster (read that article by John Abberley in Friday's Sentinel), were born long after the conflict had ended, and from what I have seen, have little or no idea what patriotism means. I wonder if many of your readers ever tune into the Parliament programme on TV, and see how few MPs are there. Can anyone tell me why they should not do nine until five, like the rest of the people? I digress, I think that they would think that their sacrifices had been in vain, more severe punishment for speeding than knocking an old lady down and pinching her purse, people scared to go out at night, boys and girls leaving school unable to read or write, one could go on and on. The one that worries me the most is that soon we shall lose the freedom of speech. I remember what one wise man once said. "I do not agree with what he says, but I will defend to the death his right to say it."

So thank you all Normandy veterans for what you did for others and me. May your sacrifices not be in vain.