God bless you Harry.

[grannyjanny]

Harry Patch, the last surviving WW1 veteran has died. God bless him, all who fell before him, after him & all who have yet to fall .

[OllieC]

Yes, RIP & something to remember him by...

"Why should the British government call me up and take me out to a battlefield
to shoot a man I never knew, whose language I couldn't speak?
All those lives lost for a war finished over a table. Now where is the sense in that?
It's just an argument between governments."

[macmac]

Ditto Grannyjanny,We were fortunate to see this splendid old guy when he was guest at a poppy ceremony a couple of years ago on Weston(super mare) sea front .My OH has read a couple of books recently of conversations with these old soldiers and they all said despite all these conflicts we have learnt nothing.What we did learn from their stories was just how much they had to endure something I wasn't taught in school ,though should have been.
 Goodnight and God Bless Harry .

[ericelf]

A Soldier's Prayer.
The soldier stood and faced his God which must always come to pass...
He hoped his shoes were shining just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward now, you soldier, How shall I deal with you? Have you always turned the other cheek? To my church have you been true?"
The soldier squared his shoulders and said " No, Lord, I guess I ain't..
Because those of us who carry guns can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays and at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes Iv'e been violent, because the streets are awfully tough.
But I never took a penny that wasn't mine to keep..
Though I worked a lot of overtime when the bills got just too steep,
And I never passed a cry for help, though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me, Iv'e wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place amoung the people here..
They never wanted me around except to calm their fears.
If youv'e a place for me here, Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much, but if you don't, I'll understand."
There was a silence all around the throne where the saints had often trod...
As the soldier waited quietly, for the judgement of his God,
"Step forward now you soldier,
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
God Bless you Harry be at peace now.

[Mr Smith]

Sad news about Harry,
                                      R.I.P

[Robert_Brenchley]

All those people killed, all that devastation and ruin, over a war which was fought over  nothing at all. Then the survivors get used to glorify the military and prepare the way for yet more wars. You're quite right, they've learnt nothing.