Horrifically injured soldiers not allowed to participate in Britain's Remembrance Day parade

[babylonsister]

A cenotaph is a tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,,2209307,00.html

Cenotaph ban on wounded war heroes


Families accuse government of being 'ashamed' of victims of war in Afghanistan and Iraq as British Legion has to tell them guidelines do not allow serving soldiers to take part in Remembrance Day march past

Ned Temko and Mark Townsend
Sunday November 11, 2007
The Observer


Serving soldiers horrifically injured in the Iraq and Afghan conflicts have been refused permission to join today's main Remembrance Day parade, prompting angry accusations that the government is 'ashamed' to have them seen in public.

Jamie Cooper, 19, the youngest Briton seriously injured in Basra, had hoped to join the march past at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. He is one of a number of young soldiers recuperating from injuries suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan the Royal British Legion had wanted to include in Britain's centrepiece remembrance ceremony.

But last week, the head of the Legion contacted Jamie's's father, Phillip, to say that government rules for participating in the parade stipulated that only veterans, not 'serving soldiers', could take part. Last year 1,500 civilians were among the 9,500 allowed by the government to participate in the official march past. 'I am absolutely outraged,' Cooper said. 'I would not have made an issue of it. But Jamie, who is thankfully recovering well from his latest major operation, said to me: "Dad, do you remember how we always used to go to Remembrance Day when I was younger? Do you think we could go this year?" He feels strongly about it, because he has lost friends on the battlefield and wants to pay tribute to them.'

It is also understood that several soldiers currently recuperating from serious injuries at Headley Court, the military rehabilitation centre near Epsom in Surrey, had wanted to attend, but were also not able to join the official parade.

Cooper said that when he raised the possibility with the Legion, the veterans' organisation was very supportive and initially suggested that he join the main ceremony at the Cenotaph.

But Peter Cleminson, chairman of the Legion, later phoned 'apologetically'. Cooper added: 'He said that he wished he could have arranged for Jamie to take part, as well as some of the others who are recuperating at Headley Court. But he said that the government is in charge of the parade guidelines, and the policy is that no serving soldiers can participate.

more...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,,2209307,00.html

[Breeze54]

1. Gheesh!! What F**king A-holes!!

:grr:

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Sounds very Bush-like.......sadly.

How disgusting that so many other nations are lowering their moral standards to those of BushCo and the Repukes.

[gratuitous]

3. There are some things we don't wish to remember

We like to remember "our finest hour" and "blood, sweat and tears." We like to remember smashing victories and heroic stands. We don't like to remember that hundreds, then thousands, then millions are blasted into oblivion to feed our love affair with violence and its marvelous power to redeem any situation.

There was a heart-warming story on the local news yesterday. Some young guy died in Iraq when his vehicle rolled over in a ditch, leaving a wife and two kids. His survivors and friends decided they wanted to raise money to get some land and purchase the materials to build a house for his family, and they were well on their way. The only thing that spoiled it for me was thinking about all the thousands of Iraqis who have died simply because they chose to live in the wrong country and get in the way of the American wehrmacht. I'm guessing that fundraisers to build homes for their survivors would net a substantially lower amount of money. But then there are so many of them, that even raising the modest mid-five figures the local family was targeting wouldn't do diddly squat to relieve the hardship we've imposed on Iraq.

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. One would think this was America, not England

Except that in America, the government would say the same thing, then allow decorated non-wounded active duty soldiers to participate.

[lonestarnot]

5. Fuck them! Get a permit and have another parade for peace!

[Supersedeas]

6. shiny happy people need only apply for the propoganda parade

[Javaman]

7. only good looking need apply. nt