I’M writing to you with the disappointment of a citizen who has enjoyed the fact he has not had to go overseas to fight for the freedom of his country.
To train, to put up with not knowing who’s your enemy, where’s your enemy, have they buried a bomb anywhere, is there a sniper somewhere and all the other things that go with being deployed in the overseas battle area.
Then to come home with the memories of the things you have seen, that you cannot tell anyone because of the graphic nature and because of secrecy provisions.
Only to face an inquiry that only has hearsay as evidence (even a bank robber needs material evidence to prove guilt).
The way they come out and gloated at the decision of one judge is an injustice on its own.
Good luck if you ever need the back of any military personnel.
Have these same newspapers sent their journalists overseas, to oust the people who strap suicide vests to themselves, who place bombs in cars and blow up innocent crowds?
No they don’t, they pick on easy target.
Do not get me wrong, I’m not saying he has or has not done this, but at least he has defended this country, laid down his life to ensure that we are safe and you treat him like this?
When the powers that be push a button that releases a scud missile or any other bombs from planes or ground or war ships, has there not been any collateral killing?
Of course there has. You don’t see them persecuted like Ben.
No, this bloke is in the tall-poppy league and, typical of the way we are going, we try to bring him down.
Remember this: If you take away all the findings, he still has done all the heroics that has earned him the medals he has.
He still put his life on the line. He still left our shores to fight for us. He still has to put up with the memories of the fighting, dead enemy fighters, the stench, flies, body parts of not only the enemy but his own mates and women and children.
Remember this when you start to condemn him.
James Blunden
Wycheproof
