Whist compulsory military conscription in South Africa had its faults, with its demise came a whole new set of problems.

Crime has increased, youngsters have little or no opportunity to learn discipline and serve their country, the armed forces are struggling, expertise has been lost and so the list carries on.

Let’s hope Strategy Page was wrong in 2010 when they reported: “South Africa fades away”.

On 12 August 2012 Times Live reported: “Not one of the R8 Billion arms deal submarines is operational”.

M&G were not so “mild” in October 2011 when they reported: “The arms deal’s big deceit: The great submarine rip-off”.

Nevertheless, there are still competent serving army and police personnel, although their numbers have dwindled.

This post is published to acknowledge those dedicated members of the armed services past and present who deal (dealt) with extraordinary worry and fear so we don’t (didn’t) have to.

“There is a time to take counsel of your fears, and there is a time to never listen to any fear” ~ General George S. Patton.

Let’s hope that service to country in the armed services, fire department, nursing fraternity or some other less “graphic” department becomes fashionable again.

I dug out some old photos to celebrate the old days when we served, whether we liked it or not: not the “bad” side but the “good” side and what it did to benefit all.

Like all the very old people say: “In our day you could leave your door open and go out, returning later after dark to find your possessions intact”.

Yes I know, proper policing of crime is but one side of a coin with many faces. Promising the poor much needed upliftment and then not delivering is another side.

Grandfather 1940’s and Grandson 1980’s photos

 

 

“We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those that would do us harm” ~ generally attributed to George Orwell.

I will end off with a photo that I took in 2011. Something about this plaque captured my imagination.