27 replies to this topic

[Walsingham]

This story reminded me of how an actual soldier, rather than someone who used to be a soldier, behaves.

A few minutes later, their interpreter told them that two women in the compound were extremely distressed because their children were trapped behind a low wall about 25 yards away.

�I stuck my head out of the compound to have a look,� said the 25-year-old soldier.

He saw the boys, aged between three and seven, sheltering from the gunfire. �The children were stuck behind a small wall,� the corporal said. �They were too scared to move because of the incoming fire from the insurgents.�

Without thinking about his own safety, the soldier, whose girlfriend is five months pregnant, ducked under the volleys of machinegun fire while his fellow soldiers gave him covering fire.

He rushed over to the weeping boys, picked one of them up and ran straight back to the compound with him under one arm.

He then made a second dash to the wall, this time accompanied by his platoon commander, Capt James Cook. They rescued the two remaining children who ran straight into their mothers� arms.

His citation read: �Acting on his own initiative and with complete disregard for his own personal safety, he ran across 25 metres of open ground in full view of the enemy to grab one of the children before using his own body as a shield.

�With any element of surprise gone, Taylor without hesitation exposed himself once more to repeat the journey.�

Cpl Taylor, from Birmingham, said the Afghan women were overjoyed on being reunited with their children.

�It was just the right thing to do,� he said.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Very brave of him.

[Drudanae]

"I'm not a warrior, I'm a soldier. There's a difference. Warriors attack and conquer, they prey on the weak. Soldiers defend and protect the innocent�usually from warriors."

[Morgoth]

Great, now Wals is our official propagandist military correspondent?

This all wouldn't be necessary if the coalition forces just pulled out of this dirthole already. More lucky kids getting to know their daddies.

[Malcador]

Predictable, and not very well done. Need to throw in some tidbit where the Imperialst soldiers killed some people or something, rather than some weak hypothetical. Tsk.

[obyknven]

"I'm not a warrior, I'm a soldier. There's a difference. Warriors attack and conquer, they prey on the weak. Soldiers defend and protect the innocent�usually from warriors."

Brainwashing propaganda detected.
Soldier:

The word soldier entered modern English in the 14th century, from the equivalent Middle English word soudeour, from Anglo-French soudeer or soudeour, meaning mercenary, from soudee, meaning shilling's worth or wage, from sou or soud, shilling.^[2] The word is also related to the Medieval Latin soldarius, meaning soldier (literally, "one having pay")^3].

Warrior:

Anglo-Saxon
W?r meaning (true)
Noun w?r - (plural w?ra, or w?re)
truth, faith
fidelity, friendship
agreement, promise

Old English
W�r
faith fidelity keeping protection agreement treaty compact pledge covenant bond (of friendship)

[Morgoth]

Predictable, and not very well done. Need to throw in some tidbit where the Imperialst soldiers killed some people or something, rather than some weak hypothetical. Tsk.

You're the one who is becoming predictable, my Canadian friend.

[Hurlshot]

It's amazing how quick a heartwarming story brings out the negative nellies.

[TrueNeutral]

"I'm not a warrior, I'm a soldier. There's a difference. Warriors attack and conquer, they prey on the weak. Soldiers defend and protect the innocent�usually from warriors."

Brainwashing propaganda detected.
Soldier:

The word soldier entered modern English in the 14th century, from the equivalent Middle English word soudeour, from Anglo-French soudeer or soudeour, meaning mercenary, from soudee, meaning shilling's worth or wage, from sou or soud, shilling.^[2] The word is also related to the Medieval Latin soldarius, meaning soldier (literally, "one having pay")^3].

Warrior:

Anglo-Saxon
W?r meaning (true)
Noun w?r - (plural w?ra, or w?re)
truth, faith
fidelity, friendship
agreement, promise

Old English
W�r
faith fidelity keeping protection agreement treaty compact pledge covenant bond (of friendship)

Hilariously serious response for a Knights of the Old Republic quote.

[Guard Dog]

Ah don't mind Morgoth, he's always grumpy. You want to see negative just wait until Krezack shows up.

But seriously, this guy is a hero. Big time. Maybe there is some hope for the humans after all.

[213374U]

So blind luck makes him a hero. If, instead, he'd gotten himself -and possibly one of those kids- killed, I guess the epithet would be far less flattering.


I'm not sure there is an actual line that separates valor from stupidity, but it's fairly obvious that success is enough to sway most opinons one way or the other. And success does depend on luck. Funny how that works.

[Hurlshot]

If he had gotten killed running out to try and save kids, he would still be a hero. I think you missed the part where he was shielding the kids with his body.

[Guard Dog]

If risking your own life to save someone elses does not make you a hero I'm not sure what would. It is the definition of a selfless act.

Even the bible agrees: John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. How much more so than to risk his life for strangers or their children?

Uh-oh I quoted the Bible on this forum. Methinks there will be flames!

[Zoraptor]

I'm with numberman on this. If he'd got himself shot he would potentially have put someone else into danger as they rescued him. Doesn't stop him being brave of course, but it's the 'running into a burning house' type of bravery. Great if it works, slightly less so if you end up getting yourself killed, put others at risk and remove the children from a generally safe position (behind a wall) via a dangerous run.

Waiting for the insurgents to break off would almost certainly have been a far better- if less 'heroic' and 'inspiring'- way of doing things.

[Drowsy Emperor]

This sort of thing either happens or doesn't. There isn't exactly time to sip tea and deliberate on the cleverness of it.

[Oblarg]

Uh-oh I quoted the Bible on this forum. Methinks there will be flames!

Flames? No, but I do wonder why you'd think that what the bible says would hold any significance for us...

[Hurlshot]

Uh-oh I quoted the Bible on this forum. Methinks there will be flames!

Flames? No, but I do wonder why you'd think that what the bible says would hold any significance for us...

It's a pretty significant book, so I don't know why a quote from it would not be relevant to the discussion.

[Walsingham]

Getting killed doesn't prevent you from getting a medal, ergo I'm kinda guessing it doesn't preclude you being heroic.

As for morgoth's negativity it's so predictable it's almost soothing. Like watching a wave roll in.

[Morgoth]

What has that to do with negativity? You wanna have every soldier end up being a dead hero? What's wrong with you people?

[213374U]

I think you missed the part where he was shielding the kids with his body.

You mean that a soldier's body is harder cover than a concrete wall? Wow, those must be some seriously tough soldiers!

Getting killed doesn't prevent you from getting a medal, ergo I'm kinda guessing it doesn't preclude you being heroic.

If risking your own life to save someone elses does not make you a hero I'm not sure what would. It is the definition of a selfless act.

Yep. Undoubtedly, the mother of the kid's grieving would have been quickly ended by his son's would-be savior posthumous condecoration. And it's only a tiny measure of luck that changed that scenario to the one reported by the Telegraph.

But whatever, Zor already explained and apparently no one even read his post, so don't let me interrupt the chest-pounding.

Edited by 213374U, 24 March 2012 - 10:20 AM.