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Who are our real friends...in the hard times

beachmaster73beachmaster73 Member Posts: 3,011 ✭✭
edited September 2001 in General Discussion
I thought I'd pass this on to all of you. My elderly parents live in England. They called me on the phone today to tell me of something extraordinary that has happened for the first time in British history. Today at the regimental changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace which is normally overseen by the sovereign herself, the Queen of England requested the American Ambassador to stand in her place of honor for their Pass in Review and rather than playing their anthem "God Save the Queen" the Band of the Coldstream Guards played the "Star Spangled Banner". There were literally hundreds of English men and women, many of them elderly, holding American flags up and weeping. They haven't forgotten who their friends are. My mom said that at the end of the ceremony when the Coldstream Guards marched off at the quick step they played "The Stars and Stripes Forever". You can say what you want about the English and their sometimes snooty ways....but they do know who their friends are despite what their politicians may sometimes say. My uncle who was a Colour Sergeant in the Green Jackets Brigade during World War Two said, "No real Englishman will ever forget the sight of burning and smoking B-17s returning from missions over Germany and no real Englishman will ever forget the freedom those B-17s and their crews bought England at the price of their own lives". I was very proud today to be a first generation American with an English heritage. Beach
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    RembrandtRembrandt Member Posts: 4,486 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Beach, thanks for that insight....I believe it was the writer Bernard Shaw that once said "the British and Americans are two peoples separated by a common language"It's also interesting to note that the French were responsible for hampering the intelligence and law enforcement abilities of Interpol in combating terrorists....
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    ED PED P Member Posts: 190 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The English are the one ally that always seem to stand by us. Other countries can be generous with economic or medical aid, but the English are always just as harsh in comdemning enemies as we are, and are usually the first guys in planes going after targets right beside us while other countries are taking a more cautionary stance.Can't say I'm a fan of the SA-80's they carry, but I know they'll be behind us even if it means they're really going out on a limb politically.
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    fergusonmorse392fergusonmorse392 Member Posts: 432 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    FOR ME::::MY GUN, MY HOUND, SOMETIMES EVEN MY WIFE, BLESS HER; MY PRAYERS....AND NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER[This message has been edited by fergusonmorse392 (edited 09-14-2001).]
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    alledanalledan Member Posts: 19,541
    edited November -1
    As my son would say-COOL!
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    mudgemudge Member Posts: 4,225 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yo Beachmaster.....Saw that on the tube. Beautiful! Loved it!The people there weren't the only ones getting a little teary.Mudge
    Anyone who CAN carry, SHOULD carry!Let me update that.Anyone who CAN carry, BETTER carry.[This message has been edited by mudge (edited 09-14-2001).]
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    He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 50,964 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What Mudge said - every word was right.
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    beachmaster73beachmaster73 Member Posts: 3,011 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Selectfire...It's more than that. It's called character and some nations have more national character than others. There was a time when we were not the big kid on the block. That has never mattered to England....they view us as the holders of the torch of freedom. I wouldn't minimize that. Beach
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    redcedarsredcedars Member Posts: 919 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hey Beach:Hope you get a chance to pass on to your folks what Ed P. says above, he has it right.And you can tell your folks my 76 yr old mother called me to pass on the day's news and the first thing she told me was about the touching tribute by the English people at the changing of the guard. Put a lump in my throat when I saw it on TV later. I'm sure I speak for many when I say it is a great comfort to know we have friends like the English.One aspect of this tragedy which has not gotten much coverage is the fact that many foreign nationals lost their lives alongside our fellow citizens, including subjects of the crown.redcedars
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    Walt NunleyWalt Nunley Member Posts: 228 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well i thought it was cool.My family has been here since the early 1800's but we have a castle in england somewhere...As far as im concerned england is now and has been one of our greatest and lets not forget very powerful allies
    Submarine Sailor,Truck Driver,and very bad typist.GO RUSTY #2
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    One shotOne shot Member Posts: 1,027 ✭
    edited November -1
    Good post beach. Thanks
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