Honour: A painting of Corporal Bryan Budd, 29, was commissioned by The 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment after he was killed in Afghanistan storming a Taliban position in 2006
Posted on 09/28/2009 4:32:15 PM PDT by naturalman1975
Bursting out of a cornfield with his rifle blazing the paratrooper charges towards an enemy position. The insurgents fall in the hail of gunfire but one manages to raise a rifle towards the lone soldier hinting that it is about to unleash a fatal burst of gunfire.
Celebrating the heroism of the soldier in unabashed style, the painting shows the courage of Corporal Bryan Budd as he stormed a Taliban position in Afghanistan.
Cpl Budd was hit by a stray bullet during hand-to-hand fighting with the insurgents in Helmand province three years ago after he had killed three of the enemy. A member of 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, 29-year-old Cpl Budd was awarded the first posthumous Victoria Cross since the Falklands War.
Honour: A painting of Corporal Bryan Budd, 29, was commissioned by The 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment after he was killed in Afghanistan storming a Taliban position in 2006
His widow Lorena collected the medal from Buckingham Palace two years ago with the couple's two children, the youngest born after Cpl Budd was killed in action.
To honour his bravery officers at the regiment's HQ, in Colchester, commissioned the oil painting.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
As for his personal relationships, don't believe everything spread in the tabloid press. The Prince and Princess of Wales loved each other and tried desperately hard to make their marriage work. Unfortunately, both of them made some unfortunate choices at times.
Thank you for posting the citation.
Newbolt! I’m impressed. God Bless you and your fortunate, and on their way to be civilized, students!
What a great thread, dedicated to a real hero illustrated by a fantastic painting, not to mention wonderful Kipling quotes, eh wot?? Looks like art and literature might still be appreciated after all...
The Afghans are dressed the same as when they fought the Brits in the 19th Century. They just traded in their jezails for AK-47’s.
Corporal Budd... a true hero.
WOW
That looks like a real Audie Murphy moment.
I thought it was a Churchill bust.
ROTFLMAO!!!!
OMG, what a slip...that is what I meant! I was typing madly because I had a steak on the grill.
But yes, that is correct! That is what I meant.
Perhaps the true shame of it is, that the omission is deliberate...
the infowarrior
I would rather think that the British asked for it back or it was scheduled to be returned at this time.
If not, then I don't see how it would appear to be anything but a blatant insult to England and that just seems improbable on the political world stage.
I mean...wth?
From the Telegraph: ...A bust of the former prime minister once voted the greatest Briton in history, which was loaned to George W Bush from the Government's art collection after the September 11 attacks, has now been formally handed back.
The bronze by Sir Jacob Epstein, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds if it were ever sold on the open market, enjoyed pride of place in the Oval Office during President Bush's tenure.
But when British officials offered to let Mr Obama to hang onto the bust for a further four years, the White House said: "Thanks, but no thanks."
Agreed.
I’m getting off track...I came in here to comment on the soldier and the painting...
RIP, Corporal Budd. I am grateful and proud to have allies like you and yours.
"Now in Inja's sunny clime where I used to spend my time, a-servin' or 'Er Majesty the Queen, of all that black-faced crew, the finest man I knew, was our regimental bhisti, Gunga Din...."
I forget the rest....
vaudine
While the Prince is no scientist, he has discussed the issue extensively with a large number of scientists from all sides of the argument (one advantage he has, is that if he asks somebody to make their case to him, they nearly always do so). He might be wrong on climate change (I think he is) but his position is not one that comes from ignorance. He's made a great deal of effort to try and educate himself on the issue, and he has come to his own conclusions.
Having said that, though, I would point out that his public statements do not always only reflect his own viewpoints. The Prince of Wales is the heir apparent to the crown of a constitutional monarchy. That word I have put in bold is important, and it's also a word that is never far from his thoughts. He has to be extremely careful when he speaks on any political issue, not to wind up in opposition to the policies of Her Majesty's Government (to make it even more complicated, he has some duty to avoid opposing the policies of the governments of fifteen Commonwealth Realms as well!). With Britain's current socialist government, that leaves His Royal Highness in a situation where there's not all that much he can talk about. He's a keen hunter, as one example, but if he spoke out in favour of gun rights, he'd be in conflict with Her Majesty's Government and he can't really do that. Because there's so few issues on which he does agree with the Labour government, he winds up making a lot of speeches about issues that are either unimportant or where he agrees with them - and climate change is a point of agreement. So a disproportionate number of his speeches are on this issue. Also, while sometimes he is speaking his own mind, purely and simply, on other occasions, the government asks him to speak on their behalf.
Just have a quick look at this page from His Royal Higness's website: TRH to visit Italy, The Holy See and Germany - media briefing
In particular, look at the opening two paragraphs, which I will quote:
Their Royal Highnesses are to tour Italy, The Holy See and Germany in April, focusing on the Government’s climate change priorities throughout, it has been announced.
The Prince’s Deputy Private Secretary, Clive Alderton, outlined the purpose of the trip, which is being carried out at the request of the British Government, to media at a briefing held at Clarence House today.
Not all the speeches the Prince makes, not all the trips he makes, are completely private affairs. Sometimes he is acting, basically, as a diplomat for the government - presenting their policies, whether he agrees completely with them or not. This is part of his constitutional role.
Yes, he's in broad agreement with them on the issue - but not everything he says is necessarily his own view.
His Royal Highness has been born into a position which has rules. A position which he did not choose (and which I honestly and sincerely believe he would prefer not to have) but which he sees as his bounden duty. He is, above all else, a patriot dedicated to the service of his nation and to its people, and more broadly to the Commonwealth at large. He plays by the rules. He is a conservative for the most part and likes most conservatives, he believes that governments should govern in the way their constitutional conventions say they should, and you just ignore them if you don't like them.
He will, I believe, be a good King, when the time comes. He is utterly dedicated to his country. To the welfare of its people. He is a man of courage - I've stood metres from him as he stood and faced a man running at him firing a gun, and he was much calmer about it than I was! Just part of the job. He's intelligent - no genius, but smart. He's well educated and well informed. He's a good, honest, and decent man.
I'll happily take that over somebody who agrees with everything I say, but doesn't have those positive qualities.
Many if not all the global warming scientists are seeking/getting grants to "save" the planet.
If we let them prevail, we are down the tubes on a greased, fast action track.
I am reading all your reasons for Prince Charles' voiced enthusiams; however, I am just not impressed with him. His sons appeal a lot more--and thanks to their mother, they look a lot better, too.
vaudine
I can’t tell you the views the Prince holds about the UN... because it would be potentially diplomatically embarassing to him.
But for the UK, the far bigger concern is the EU. And, again, his views on that would not be diplomatically expressed either.
As for his sons - their father is a major reason they are the way they are. Their mother loved them and would have done her best for them, but it’s their father who has taught them duty and service and dedication. And their grandfather as well.
I’m impressed by them as well - I believe the Prince of Wales can be a good King. I believe Prince William has the potential to be a truly great one. That’s partly because he does have the fusion of the best qualities of his mother as well as his father.
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