Veterans throw down medals on Downing Street in disgust over Syria bombing

Ex-servicemen discarded their commendations outside the Prime Minister's home in protest

War veterans descended on Downing Street today, to throw down their medals in disgust at Britain joining air strikes in Syria.


The protest saw men who served in both Gulf Wars, Afghanistan and Libya throw their commendations on the tarmac outside the Prime Minister's home.

One of the veterans, Daniel Lenham who served in the RAF from 2002 to 2014 said “In protest at the decision to bomb Syria, we will hand back medals given to us for participating in previous attacks on the Middle East.”

He continued “These invasions, occupations and attacks have caused great destruction, killed hundreds of thousands of people and have led to the destruction of societies. Bombing is never a solution it is time to stop.”

The demonstration was organised by Veterans for Peace, an ex-services organisation which includes veterans of every conflict since World War Two.

David Smith who served in the Royal Green Jackets said “I want to express my utter disgust at the decision to unlawfully bomb Syria, god help all those who are likely to suffer as a result of this action. I renounce all forms of state sanctioned Warfare and Violence.”

Kirk Sollitt who served in the Gulf War said “By bombing in Syria we are killing innocent, vulnerable sentient beings, men, woman and children. You cannot sow bloodshed and reap peace. I no longer want these medals.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/veterans-throw-down-medals-downing-6975273

Good for them.

So they didn't mind taking part in other invasions then?

Indeed.
They are placing helping countless suffering as more evil than the acts of Assad and Daesh. So are they advocating we should not bomb military targets of Daesh and do nothing to stop the oppression of the people of Syria?
Imagine them before the D-Day invasion?
Think they need to get their priorities straight.

They didn't mind getting medals for taking part in the Iraq invasion where civilians were also killed.

@Raggs
They Learned their lesson after seeing the deaths caused by western bombs

They basically insult their fallen brothers in arms that have fallen in battle.

veya_victaous wrote:@Raggs
They Learned their lesson after seeing the deaths caused by western bombs

Exactly Veya, they have seen the inhumanity of it and don't want to be involved ever again.

veya_victaous wrote:@Raggs
They Learned their lesson after seeing the deaths caused by western bombs

I presume they got those medals after they saw that, but they still accepted them.

What do people who join the RAF expect? Did they think they were being trained to be pilots to take people on holiday or something?

Raggamuffin wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:@Raggs
They Learned their lesson after seeing the deaths caused by western bombs

I presume they got those medals after they saw that, but they still accepted them.

They get them automically, they are medals given to all troops that served.  Probably given a short time after, they have had time to think since.

Raggamuffin wrote:What do people who join the RAF expect? Did they think they were being trained to be pilots to take people on holiday or something?

Indeed, these ex forces have had their heads fill with lies, as the air missions are not to even target civillians.
Being the fact the former RAF have had to do the same, it is the worst hypocrisy from any of them

Richard The Lionheart wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:What do people who join the RAF expect? Did they think they were being trained to be pilots to take people on holiday or something?

Indeed, these ex forces have had their heads fill with lies, as the air missions are not to even target civillians.
Being the fact the former RAF have had to do the same, it is the worst hypocrisy from any of them

See you 2 are actually opposed

Yes Raggs I agree, you have to be pretty dumb to join the armed forces not expecting to kill people.

But i think they guys having nightmares about the people they blew up Probably have a lot better idea about the reality of situation. As opposed to Poster that have filled their heads with lies, and rather misses the point that 'who you say you are targeting ' doesn't mean shit to the people with kids blown to small pieces, the Fact You have say You blew their Children Up By Accident to try and save them from ISIS is the WORST Hypocrisy and Just Worse by ever measure of what is good in humanity.

veya_victaous wrote:

Richard The Lionheart wrote:


Indeed, these ex forces have had their heads fill with lies, as the air missions are not to even target civillians.
Being the fact the former RAF have had to do the same, it is the worst hypocrisy from any of them

See you 2 are actually opposed

Yes Raggs I agree, you have to be pretty dumb to join the armed forces not expecting to kill people.

But i think they guys having nightmares about the people they blew up Probably have a lot better idea about the reality of situation. As opposed to Poster that have filled their heads with lies, and rather misses the point that 'who you say you are targeting ' doesn't mean shit to the people with kids blown to small pieces, the Fact You have say You blew their Children Up By Accident to try and save them from ISIS is the WORST Hypocrisy and Just Worse by ever measure of what is good in humanity.

So you think all the allied pilots and naval gunners should throw away all their medals, because sadly there was over 60,000 French civillian casulties caused mainly by the allies in WW2?
You do understand what an evil is?
Nazism was an evil and the French were under occupation of an evil in the Nazis.
The Syrians are suffering and under occuptaion also of two evils, Assad and Daesh.
Now are you saying we should not bomb, to help support ground forces defeat at least one evil, with the other evil having to step down? You are not going to defeat Daesh in any other way other than boots on the ground and supporting air strikes.
Sadly there is casulties in war but to view andclaim to be disgusted at where we are actually trying to help is not only the worst insult to the help we are trying to do, but places Daesh and Assad attrocieties as a lesser crime.

veya_victaous wrote:

Richard The Lionheart wrote:


Indeed, these ex forces have had their heads fill with lies, as the air missions are not to even target civillians.
Being the fact the former RAF have had to do the same, it is the worst hypocrisy from any of them

See you 2 are actually opposed

Yes Raggs I agree, you have to be pretty dumb to join the armed forces not expecting to kill people.

But i think they guys having nightmares about the people they blew up Probably have a lot better idea about the reality of situation. As opposed to Poster that have filled their heads with lies, and rather misses the point that 'who you say you are targeting ' doesn't mean shit to the people with kids blown to small pieces, the Fact You have say You blew their Children Up By Accident to try and save them from ISIS is the WORST Hypocrisy and Just Worse by ever measure of what is good in humanity.

So many Vets suffer from PTS and other mental health problems, they are the only ones that know what actually happens and have the right to say what they think.

I agree that it could be very traumatic having seen what goes on in these wars. It must also be difficult to come back and hear people whinging about trivial things. Perhaps there should be more warning and training about that before they join the forces.

The only ones?
Really, so no opposing forces or civillians or other fellow troops, just these ones then?
Again to dishonour the people they fought alongside as brothers and sisters with where they were awarded such medals for bravery and valour insults the very aspect of the actions they did.
You do not make a mockery of the very medals that stand for the good that the amred forces do, as it renders all who have received such medals with the biggest insult possible
Again to even as they are doing lie and invent claims to as if this is targeting civillians, is also disgusting

Raggamuffin wrote:I agree that it could be very traumatic having seen what goes on in these wars. It must also be difficult to come back and hear people whinging about trivial things. Perhaps there should be more warning and training about that before they join the forces.

I don't think people realise quite how traumatic it will be when they join the forces.  As I have said many times, my Dad flew Lancs in WWII.  To this day he gets nightmares about what they did.  His Flight Engineer, an Australian, committed suicide about 20 years after.  Today we would realise that he suffered from PTS.  I've read his letters to my Dad, he never came to terms with what they did, even though at the time they knew they had to.

Getting nightmares is what many suffered with, my Irish grandfather was so traumatized at what he had to do, he became an alcoholic.
It effects many, but to insult the very medals of honour is a poor choice to show you are against something. It is even worse to make falsified claims that these attacks are as if targeting civillians.
Its wrong and no matter their views, the very medals are a symbol of the bravery of the armed forces.
That should never be treated with any distain, as like I say that insults every single one of the armed forces who has ever fought.

Richard The Lionheart wrote:Getting nightmares is what many suffered with, my Irish grandfather was so traumatized at what he had to do, he became an alcoholic.
It effects many, but to insult the very medals of honour is a poor choice to show you are against something. It is even worse to make falsified claims that these attacks are as if targeting civillians.
Its wrong and no matter their views, the very medals are a symbol of the bravery of the armed forces.
That should never be treated with any distain, as like I say that insults every single one of the armed forces who has ever fought.

You care more for the medals than the Armed Forces
Cause the Exact same can be said about the way the politicians use treat them

These men insult no one
the insult is the leadership

veya_victaous wrote:

Richard The Lionheart wrote:Getting nightmares is what many suffered with, my Irish grandfather was so traumatized at what he had to do, he became an alcoholic.
It effects many, but to insult the very medals of honour is a poor choice to show you are against something. It is even worse to make falsified claims that these attacks are as if targeting civillians.
Its wrong and no matter their views, the very medals are a symbol of the bravery of the armed forces.
That should never be treated with any distain, as like I say that insults every single one of the armed forces who has ever fought.

You care more for the medals than the Armed Forces
Cause the Exact same can be said about the way the politicians use treat them

These men insult no one
the insult is the leadership

Incorrect as trhe medals are a symbol of what the armed forces do in valour an bravery.
Its a symbol of their acts.
These men fundementally insult all those who have served by using the symbol of the medal, of which others have won.
That is what you fail to grasp and they can protest without insulting that symbol

Campaign medals are sweeties handed out to good little boys and girls who do the dirty work for the elite.

Medals for bravery are earned and the people that earn them have the right to do anything they want with them.  Some even sell them because they are broke, as the country they fought for couldn't give a flying fuck about them.

So you are saying the merchant Navy who lost countless lives in order to supply Russia for example only deserved sweeties to you?

Did these Pilots who suffered PTS actually see in person the results of the bombing? did they personly see the mangled bodies of men, women and children, and the bloody bits of them spread around. If they did then i'm sorry for them, but 99.9% of them didn't.If any one should "throw their medals on the ground it was the "grunts" who saw it first hand.

One quoted was in the RAF, one in the Green Jackets, they didn't say what the other was in, just that he served,  Many more there, they just spoke to those three.

nicko wrote:Did these Pilots who suffered PTS  actually see in person the results of the bombing?  did they personly see the mangled bodies of men, women and children, and the bloody bits of them spread around.   If they did then i'm sorry for them,   but 99.9% of them didn't.If any one should "throw their medals on the ground it was the "grunts" who saw it first hand.

I doubt it Nicko.

i am more interested how sassy thinks campaign medals are no more than sweeties, where many have suffered many loses?

sassy wrote:Campaign medals are sweeties handed out to good little boys and girls who do the dirty work for the elite.

Medals for bravery are earned and the people that earn them have the right to do anything they want with them.  Some even sell them because they are broke, as the country they fought for couldn't give a flying fuck about them.

Please don't say that. Mr. C earned every single one of his medals the hard way with the exception of the Queens Golden Jubilee medal from 2002.

They are not sweeties.

I didn't agree with a vast majority of the places he and his colleagues were sent to but I supported them.

But I agree with their right to send them back if they wish. That right is what they themselves joined up to protect.

nicko wrote:Did these Pilots who suffered PTS  actually see in person the results of the bombing?  did they personly see the mangled bodies of men, women and children, and the bloody bits of them spread around.   If they did then i'm sorry for them,   but 99.9% of them didn't.If any one should "throw their medals on the ground it was the "grunts" who saw it first hand.

One Being Light Infantry Probably did

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-409724/The-Queen-says-goodbye-Royal-Green-Jackets.html


From 95th Rifles, no less

sassy wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:I agree that it could be very traumatic having seen what goes on in these wars. It must also be difficult to come back and hear people whinging about trivial things. Perhaps there should be more warning and training about that before they join the forces.

I don't think people realise quite how traumatic it will be when they join the forces.  As I have said many times, my Dad flew Lancs in WWII.  To this day he gets nightmares about what they did.  His Flight Engineer, an Australian, committed suicide about 20 years after.  Today we would realise that he suffered from PTS.  I've read his letters to my Dad, he never came to terms with what they did, even though at the time they knew they had to.

Joining the forces is touted as a career choice with good prospects, but how many think about what they might have to do? When they get sent overseas to actually fight, a lot of people seem shocked.

Medals are to be treasured but usually when the recipient dies they become meaningless, no one wants them unless they REALLY are extra speshul ones which to the owner they prob are, sad really as someone has put their life on the line for their coutryfolk.

Stormee wrote:Medals are to be treasured but usually when the recipient dies they become meaningless, no one wants them unless they REALLY are extra speshul ones which to the owner they prob are, sad really as someone has put their life on the line for their coutryfolk.

Yes, I always feel a bit sad when I see them up for sale.