Whilst almost none of us can even begin to imagine the grief and torment that the Bigley family has been enduring in recent days and weeks, the recent outpouring of public "grief" in the UK, along with two minutes silence in Liverpool for the old chap, brings back to me very strong memories of the pathetic national outpouring of grief after Princess Diana died.
Ask your typical man on the street how many other of our fine countrymen died serving their country, or risking their lives to help make those of others better, over in Iraq in the last 18 months?
10? 20? 30?
How many of them do you remember? Can you name any of them? Do you think they deserve to be forgotten? If you're feeling in the mood for a bit of mourning, don't forget the following 82 people who also lost their lives in Iraq:
[ listed in Date Order, oldest first ]Military
Colour Sergeant John Cecil
Lance Bombardier Karl Llywelyn Evans
Captain Philip Stuart Guy
Royal Navy Marin Sholto Hedenskog
Sergeant Les Hehir
Operational Mechanic Ian Seymour
Warrant Officer Mark Stratford
Major Jason Ward
Lieutenant Philip D. Green
Lieutenant Anthony King
Lieutenant Marc A. Lawrence
Lieutenant Philip West
Lieutenant James Williams
Lieutenant Andrew S. Wilson
Flight Lieutenant Kevin Barry Main
Flight Lieutenant David Rhys Williams
Sapper Luke Allsopp
Staff Sergeant Simon Cullingworth
Sergeant Steven Mark Roberts
Lance Corporal Barry Stephen
Corporal Stephen John Allbutt
Trooper David Jeffrey Clark
Lance Corporal Matty Hull
Major Steve Alexis Ballard
Lance Corporal Shain Andrew Brierley
Royal navy Marine Christopher R. Maddison
Staff Sergeant Chris Muir
Lance Corporal Karl Shearer
Lance Corporal Ian Keith Malone
Piper Christopher Muzvuru
Fusilier Kelan John Turrington
Lieutenant Alexander Tweedie
Lance Corporal James McCue
Private Andrew Kelley
Gunner Duncan Pritchard
Corporal David Shepherd
Leonard Harvey (Civilain - Defence Fire Service)
Sergeant Simon A. Jamilton-Jewell
Corporal Russell Aston
Corporal Paul Graham Long
Corporal Simon Miller
Lance Corporal Benjamin John M. Hyde
Lance Corporal Thomas Richard Keys
Captain James Linton
Private Jason Smith
Captain David Martyn Jones
Major Matthew Titchener
Warrant Officer Colin Wall
Corporal Dewi Pritchard
Fusilier Russell Beeston
Sergeant John Nightingale
Corporal Ian Plank
Private Ryan Lloyd Thomas
Major James Stenner
Sergeant Norman Patterson
Lance Corporal Andrew Jason Craw
Rifleman Vincent Calvin Windsor
Sapper Robert Thompson
Corporal Richard Thomas David Ivell
Fusilier Gordon Campbell Gentle
Flight Lieutenant Kristian Michel Alexander Gover
Private Christopher Gordon Rayment
Private Lee martin O'Callaghan
Private Marc Ferns
Lance Corporal Paul David Trevor Thomas
Fusilier Stephen Jones
Corporal Marc "Spud" Taylor
Gunner David LawrenceCivilian
Terry Lloyd
Peter Rudorf
Ian Rimell
Scott Mounce
Christopher McDonald
Michael John Bloss
Brian Tilley
Andrew Harries
Mark Carman
Bob Morgan
Craig Dickens
Keith Butler
John Poole
Julian Davis
Well said. I hate that saccarhin vicarious 'grief' that people wallow in just because they like the feeling without the original pain. Bigley's family are entitled to their grief, and any genuine sympathy that is offered. THEY have suffered. I'm sure the families of your list have also suffered from their loss, and got on with their lives. This was just a media-hyped 'happening' that would not have happened without the media attention.
"Lance Corporal Shain Andrew Brierley"
I have spoken to his father, Peter Brierley, on several occassions, and he told me how none of the politicians present at the ceremony to honnor his son and other soldiers killed in Iraq, could look him in the eye. I wonder if this was the ceremony where it has now emerged that John (two jags/shags) Prescott had his mind more consentrated on how quickly he could get away from the whole boring carry on and get down to the more serious business of screwing his diary secretary.... these people disgust me!
Jane Pickup
www.nineeleven.co.uk