Posted on 03/16/2003 7:41:24 AM PST by knighthawk
A lone 83-year-old D-Day veteran braved a wave of anti-war fervour at a North demonstration to show his support for British soldiers in the Gulf.
Reginald Peebles stood alone in regimental blazer and beret among 1500 protesters as they mocked British and American plans for an attack on Iraq.
His quiet demeanour and maroon uniform, complete with Parachute Regiment badge, formed a stark contrast to the noise and excitement of the mostly youthful demonstration.
Reginald kept up a lone vigil in Newcastle's Times Square as he waited for the peace protesters to arrive at the end of their march from the city's civic centre yesterday.
He said: "Having seen the protests in London I felt that there was no one to stick up for our troops out there.
"There is no thought here for our lads and lasses."
Reginald, from Wallsend, North Tyneside, was just 18 when he joined the Army, serving first in the Royal Engineers, then later with the Parachute Regiment.
After listening to the speakers at yesterday's protest, organised by Tyneside Stop the War Coalition, he said he felt they were misguided.
"The young 'uns are taking over. I wanted to put my voice out there and support my fellow countrymen," said Reginald.
He said he believed the majority of Army veterans supported military action in Iraq and that the West's failure to show a united front was playing into the hands of Saddam Hussein.
He explained: "We seem to be fighting each other and that's part of his big plan. People talk of the fear of terrorism . . . the best weapon against terrorism is refusing to be afraid."
In Kuwait yesterday, a British Army commander admitted having had doubts about going to war with Iraq in the face of public opposition.
But Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Blackman, commanding officer of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, said that all such doubts were now behind him.
He said: "Over the last few weeks I have had moments of doubt and wondered about international opinion and public opinion back home.
"The last thing a soldier needs while being sniped at from the front is to be sniped at from behind by the armchair lancers.
"But I am now entirely convinced. We have a United Nations, we have resolutions and we have to enforce them, otherwise it becomes meaningless.
"Saddam has used weapons of mass destruction and there is no proof that he has destroyed them.
"Some of us wonder why it is so hard for the nation to understand what this is all about.
"There are no two ways about it, the coalition will win this war. We have overwhelming force and we are facing an army which, from what we know, is low on morale and poorly fed."
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Something totally foreign to the craven "The best way to avoid war is not to have enemies" Nickelodean Analysis of almost all of the war protesters.
Thank God there are real grown-up men out there who understand what needs to be done and are willing to stand up for it.
Let's hope his voice is joined by many others (as it is starting to be here in the US).
After Wise had concluded his remarks, a local veteran made a special presentation to the governor. Jack Gould, a veteran of WWII, reminded Wise he had called Gould to Charleston two years ago to present him with a medal from the government of France. The medal was awarded to Gould for his participation in the invasion of Normandy. Gould then presented the governor with that very medal and asked that Wise return it to the government of France.
"I just feel that I would never wear it," Gould said after the rally. "I don't want it. I am ashamed of France.
"They (France) are certainly entitled to their own opinion, but I just don't like it," he continued. "We (the United States) also had a right to our own opinion when we freed them - twice."
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