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Coldwar Veterans

Le petit caporal

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We call it the 'Cafard', in the Legion when your moral is low
Mostly due to a hectic pace of work and or a fud with rank chunt giving greif
Some legionnaires have had their own traumatic experiences before joining
They usually keep that to them selves
You never can tell
Nowadays when a potential recruit goes through Paradise (holding pen during selection). He will be interviewed by the shrinks
Regular armies reflect the society they live in
The Legion is anything but regular
Our force is composed of almost every nationality in the world and they all have to adapt to the Legions own society
Have known a few over the years that suddenly topped their selves... probably was something lurking in their heads before joining, but am no shrink
 
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Well put. Good read.
I can't speak for currently serving soldiers.
But back in the seventies ptsd was swept under the carpet. Frowned upon to talk about. It was a soldiers duty to hide his emotions.
If your emotions surfaced the doctor would change your medical records by adding. LMF witch Translates to low moral fibre.
combat readyness was taken from you, And you were subsequently discharged back to civilian life. I'm mind full this is an open forum and guarded about what i write in public.
For 21 years I used my own money to take ptsd Veterans from the prisons. And turn there life around. I studied emotional intelligence to improve my journey and the journey of the Veterans passing through my shelter. Some made it and some didn't. But me and my son tried our best. We took all French fouren legionnaires In time of need. I still emotonally council one legionnaire and need to chat on a private platform about his welfare and well-being as he is currently sectioned under Welsh law.
 
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"Cold War Veterans" Something doesn't sound right in that word.
Anyway welcome to forum David.
Dusaboss,

I was a Cold War Veteran commanding a unit of the Queen's 6/7(V) HSF. Shades of Captain Mainwaring. Research Home Service Force on Wiki or Google. My unit is mentioned without names.
 
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Dear French Foreign Legion.
My name is David hampson Miller. Aged 61.
I had the honour of serving along side the Americans and the French Foreign Legion during Coldwar Europe. 17-03-77 to 12-07-79.
With 7th field regiment Royal horse artillery.
I have amazing memories of that period in my life.
I would like to reconnect with other Coldwar Veterans.
I now live in Marseillan and would like to chat with other Veterans from my generation.
+447785181333
549rld@gmail.com
Welcome to the forum. I visit from time to time. Slightly older than you !
Chas the Dinosaur. Original Number RMV202910- Mne- 20/06/1956 and a bit more.
HSF. Personal No : 535660. Say no more !
 

dusaboss

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Dusaboss,

I was a Cold War Veteran commanding a unit of the Queen's 6/7(V) HSF. Shades of Captain Mainwaring. Research Home Service Force on Wiki or Google. My unit is mentioned without names.
Respect Chas. Don't have trouble with you. Thing is "Cold War veteran" is taken here in terms of PTSD and other bad things which have bad influence on veterans of a real armed conflict. I don't think it's fair to compare cold war with real war.
And when someone saying cold war veteran in that manner I think he is thinking like "that was war of our generation", "It was real to us" . No it's not. Cold war or political tensions are far from real armed conflict.
If I'm wrong and David was simply thinking about army veterans from period of Cold War that I apologize. But there is difference between Cold war veteran and veteran from period of cold war.
 
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Respect Chas. Don't have trouble with you. Thing is "Cold War veteran" is taken here in terms of PTSD and other bad things which have bad influence on veterans of a real armed conflict. I don't think it's fair to compare cold war with real war.
And when someone saying cold war veteran in that manner I think he is thinking like "that was war of our generation", "It was real to us" . No it's not. Cold war or political tensions are far from real armed conflict.
If I'm wrong and David was simply thinking about army veterans from period of Cold War that I apologize. But there is difference between Cold war veteran and veteran from period of cold war.
You all raise good points. That's why the British didn't raise a coldwar medal. I expect all your points. 28 months in a N.B.C. suit was enough to give me nightmares. M.A.D. mutual assured destruction. The constant reminder that Nuculer biological and chemical warfare was a real threat back then. I remember our regiments digging in to the side of mountains, and the Russian satellites finding us and crashing out and relocating some where new. I remember sharing rassions with the 82nd airborne and with all the French fouren legion units. Europe was just a battle box. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Let's hope the young soldiers today take note
 

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in Holland we have also cold war veterans fighting for recognition and so getting the same benefist as "real"veterans. So far they are only allowed to walk in parades however
Mind you, in Holland you are only a veteran if you went on deployment. If you only served, no matter how long, but never went on deplyment to a warzone or under the UN flag you are not a veteran

veterans dont like coldwar veterans (almost hate them) because their organisation makes up their own medals so you can see them walking around with a chest full of made up medails (for example: for every year being a member you can have a medal or a medal for latrine digging expert :cool: ) so they look like warheroes
 
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In the last 12 years there have been 3 official medal reviews in the UK,. They have all been flawed, utterly shambolic and dishonest.

The last one by Sir. John Holmes was instigated by Prime Minister Cameron who said ; I wish to draw a line in the sand with this review in view of all the anomalies relating to medallic recognition.

21 groups, varying from Arctic Convoy veterans, the Yangtse incident, Porton Down experiments, Korea post armistice, NS men, the Nuclear Test veterans, Cyprus and the Cold War just to mention a few.

Sir. John said they would ALL be looked at and considered by the AMS/Honours and Decorations Committee.

Only one was even looked at and was successful. This was the WW2 Arctic Convoy medal. The remainder were simply ignored. How do I know ? Well I gave written an oral evidence to Sir. John Holmes on behalf of a specific group at the Cabinet Office. Sir John, either wittingly or unwittingly misled me. Simply I believe that I was lied to. Under the FOI Act over a few years this has been factually ascertained. In seven cases nine judges found in our favour. The authorities simply hope we will all die and they can forget about the veterans who they traduce at every opportunity.

The answer would be a National Defence Medal similar to Australia and NZ to encompass all claims, since H. M. The Queen head of their Armed Forces and our own has issued one. NZ also has medal for NT participants. France also has a National Defence Medal.

The current position is that official complaints have been made against several named senior civil servants who have tried to cover up this dishonest fiasco.
 
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I'm sore that generation before you spoke same for your generation. It's understandable, normal process.

In the last 12 years there have been 3 official medal reviews in the UK,. They have all been flawed, utterly shambolic and dishonest.

The last one by Sir. John Holmes was instigated by Prime Minister Cameron who said ; I wish to draw a line in the sand with this review in view of all the anomalies relating to medallic recognition.

21 groups, varying from Arctic Convoy veterans, the Yangtse incident, Porton Down experiments, Korea post armistice, NS men, the Nuclear Test veterans, Cyprus and the Cold War just to mention a few.

Sir. John said they would ALL be looked at and considered by the AMS/Honours and Decorations Committee.

Only one was even looked at and was successful. This was the WW2 Arctic Convoy medal. The remainder were simply ignored. How do I know ? Well I gave written an oral evidence to Sir. John Holmes on behalf of a specific group at the Cabinet Office. Sir John, either wittingly or unwittingly misled me. Simply I believe that I was lied to. Under the FOI Act over a few years this has been factually ascertained. In seven cases nine judges found in our favour. The authorities simply hope we will all die and they can forget about the veterans who they traduce at every opportunity.

The answer would be a National Defence Medal similar to Australia and NZ to encompass all claims, since H. M. The Queen head of their Armed Forces and our own has issued one. NZ also has medal for NT participants. France also has a National Defence Medal.

The current position is that official complaints have been made against several named senior civil servants who have tried to cover up this dishonest fiasco.
I tried to represent the nuclear test veterans and the Christmas Ireland veterans by publishing all there experiences. I was subsequently removed from Facebook. They removed everything. Years of my research. I recorded every thing the BNTV British nuclear test veterans wanted the world to know. As they all died of terrible post nuclear diseases. I was silenced. And devastated. The test veterans had lost the ability to create biological healthy families. The children that came from there broken DNA was heartbreaking.
 
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Le petit caporal

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Medals and trivia (the higest and important ones, are made for the unimportant high class SOBs)
Be it Saint Cyr / Sandhurst or West Point!
I kid you not
I could go on with my rant but what's the point?
"They are nowt", with out our servitude
I ued to keep mines in a shoe box...
Till the bairn discoverd them in a near rotten old shoe box and ripped them apart
Life is short and do not waste it upon the over achievers careers
(a sense of belonging?)
 

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You all raise good points. That's why the British didn't raise a coldwar medal. I expect all your points. 28 months in a N.B.C. suit was enough to give me nightmares. M.A.D. mutual assured destruction. The constant reminder that Nuculer biological and chemical warfare was a real threat back then. I remember our regiments digging in to the side of mountains, and the Russian satellites finding us and crashing out and relocating some where new. I remember sharing rassions with the 82nd airborne and with all the French fouren legion units. Europe was just a battle box. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Let's hope the young soldiers today take note
Hearing airplanes flying over your head knowing that they coming to drop bombs on you isn't such fun neither. Should I, or my countrymen complain about PTSD?
If PTSD is so real and impact so much soldiers than majority of my nation should suffer from it. From mine sixth year my country was in some kind of war or tensions close to war. Maybe is safe only in last few years. (and that safety is questionable).

So I have certain doubts in PTSD being real disease. I am not saying that there isn't people suffering from it just saying that isn't so common as today's media forcing it. To be honest, there is something which makes soldiers suffering lot more from variety of mental illnesses than general population do, but I'm convinced that some (or multiple) traumatic events during war (or cold war) using root cause for most of them.

I really like this subject on PTSD because I like army and I like psychology so David ... I would like to continue this discussion with you.
Once again, you said you and your son helping UK veterans and you did some research on guys involved in British nuclear testing?
Can you give us more info on those two subjects?
 
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I tried to represent the nuclear test veterans and the Christmas Ireland veterans by publishing all there experiences. I was subsequently removed from Facebook. They removed everything. Years of my research. I recorded every thing the BNTV British nuclear test veterans wanted the world to know. As they all died of terrible post nuclear diseases. I was silenced. And devastated. The test veterans had lost the ability to create biological healthy families. The children that came from there broken DNA was heartbreaking.
I had various letters published in the national press on behalf of British NT veterans. I lost a great friend whose children also suffered as a result.

I was asked to represent the NSVA and the NDM campaigners The former understanding that they would not be recognised voted in favour of the NDM and supported accordingly.

I personally appeared on national TV and was also interviewed by Radio Solent on air.

I have campaigned since 2006, initially with the late Colonel Lyons, BEM. With others I personally must have sent at least 300 letters to worthies. Finally via my late MP Michael Mates, we obtained an Early Day Motion in Parliament. Some on this forum have also seen the photo of self on the balcony of the H. o C. with MPs'. Volt/Joe said I was looking at a certain MP with utter contempt.

Recognition of our gallant service men and women has been a subject very close to my heart.

I will write no more on this subject and apologise to my FFL friends since it does not relate to the forum.
 

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Should I, or my countrymen complain about PTSD?
If PTSD is so real and impact so much soldiers than majority of my nation should suffer from it.

Dusa i do think that a lot of your countrymen (and croats and bosnians fot that matter) suffer from PTSD, especially the ones who were at the frontlines or have seen bad things. maybe it is not just recognized in your country and instead of PTSD they just say i have frequenst nightmares and strat drinking all day to surpress the sad thoughts or images flashing in their head. maybe it is not the balkan culture to admit you have PTSD cause they might think you are less of a man/women

I do believe that in the years to come the PTSD problem of a whole generation (and maybe more) will come to the surface
 
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Hearing airplanes flying over your head knowing that they coming to drop bombs on you isn't such fun neither. Should I, or my countrymen complain about PTSD?
If PTSD is so real and impact so much soldiers than majority of my nation should suffer from it. From mine sixth year my country was in some kind of war or tensions close to war. Maybe is safe only in last few years. (and that safety is questionable).

So I have certain doubts in PTSD being real disease. I am not saying that there isn't people suffering from it just saying that isn't so common as today's media forcing it. To be honest, there is something which makes soldiers suffering lot more from variety of mental illnesses than general population do, but I'm convinced that some (or multiple) traumatic events during war (or cold war) using root cause for most of them.

I really like this subject on PTSD because I like army and I like psychology so David ... I would like to continue this discussion with you.
Once again, you said you and your son helping UK veterans and you did some research on guys involved in British nuclear testing?
Can you give us more info on those two subjects?
This is only my personal view. Please view its contents as being my own personal experiences and words.

42 years ago my country was challenged by a bloody civil war, on the back of Palestine, Aden, korea, Malaya, Cyprus, Sues, Brunie, Dhofar, Indonesia, Cold war and post World War 11.
Opbanner.
Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Male and Female. 18 year olds to 30 year olds were tasked to keep the peace In Northern Ireland.

I was tasked in portadown, longkesh, Lurgan and stormont Castle Hotel Belfast.
With rich and poor soldiers.
Black, white and every shade in between. Religious and none religious soldiers. Educated and none educated soldiers.
But all had a passion to serve the people they had known and the people they didn't know.

Believing everyone would echo peace, in the back ground, enabling space for peace to flourish.
That's how it should of worked.

But this couldn't happen on the island of Ireland, simple because the island of Ireland was suffering from austerty, un-escapablle poverty.
Because the British english privileged few wouldn't share anything equally with the Irish Scottish or Welsh.

Combined with the feeling of opresion in there communities.
Subsequently living in a tinder box.
Created complex Post Traumatic, Stress Disorders.

And from the chaos great leaders had to be, what they needed to be. From all sides of the conflict.
The heroes that day were the families that supported all the great heroes of the good Friday agreement.

The reality is, all sides were dragged screaming and post traumatic to the good Friday agreement.
All sides gave everything.
Literally everything.
To evoke peace.
Their was no alternative.
No plan two.
We suck it up.
For our children's children.
Pride and ego has no place in our children's futures.
Sinn Fein were and are indigenous caretakers of their land.
We were all ill-informed none indigenous caretakers.

Democracy and freedom are not God given rights.

Democracy and freedom are gifts laid down by young soldiers, that gave everything when called upon, from all sides of the island of Ireland and Celtic Britton.

A Sacred Covernance if I may.
 

Le petit caporal

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Civilians who blow a fuse, (think they call it a burn out), get more recognition than serving or ex serving military who suffer
Of course, there will always be the minority who will try and play their ticket
 
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The Un-United Kingdom conducted major nuclear weapons tests in Australia between 1952 and 1957. These explosions occurred at the Montebello Islands, Emu Field and Maralinga.
Aboriginal sacred grounds.
Maralinga.
The atomic tests at Maralinga in 1957 were known as Operation Antler.
A testing site at Maralinga was established in 1955, close to a siding along the Trans-Australian Railway. Because supplies could be brought to the site via rail, it was preferred over Emu Field. A total of seven major tests were conducted at Maralinga. Both the Federal government and Australian newspapers at the time were very supportive of the tests. In 1952, the Liberal Government passed legislation, the Defence (Special Undertakings) Act 1952, which allowed the British Government access to remote parts of Australia to undertake atmospheric nuclear weapons tests. The general public were largely unaware of the risks from the testing program, stemming from official secrecy about the testing program and the remote locations of the test sites on aboriginal sacred land.
Before the tests could begin the Maralinga Tjarutja, the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land, had to be forcefully removed.
An air base at nearby Woomera, which had been used for rocket testing, was initially used as a base from which planes were flown for testing of the bomb clouds.
Minor trials name, location and radioactive material

Year Location Trial Material Quantity (kg)
1953 Emu Field Kitten Beryllium 0.036
1955 Naya 3 Tims Uranium 13.8
1955 Naya Kittens Uranium 5
1955-57 Naya Kittens Beryllium 0.75
1955-57 Kittens area Kittens Uranium 120
1956-60 Kuli TM4 Tims Uranium 6605
1956-58 Naya 1 Rats Uranium 151
1957 Naya Tims Beryllium 1.6
1957 Naya 3 Kittens Uranium 23.4
1957 Wewak Vixen A Uranium 67.8
1957 Dobo Rats Uranium 28
1957 Taranaki Vixen B Uranium 25
1959 Wewak VK33 Vixen A Plutonium 0.008
1959 Wewak VK29 Vixen A Beryllium 0.14
1959 Wewak VK28 Vixen A Beryllium 0.25
1959 Wewak VK27 Vixen A Beryllium 0.27
1959 Wewak VK30 Vixen A Beryllium 0.1
1959-60 Kuli TM11 Tims Beryllium 26.2
1959-60 Kuli TM11 Tims Uranium 67
1960 Naya TM100 Tims Plutonium 0.6
1960-62 Naya 2 Kittens Uranium 32
1960-61 Kuli TM16 Tims Beryllium 39
1961 Kuli TM50 Tims Uranium 90
1961 Naya TM101 Tims Plutonium 0.6
1961 Wewak VK60A Vixen A Plutonium 0.294
1961 Wewak VK60C Vixen A Plutonium 0.277
1961 Wewak 60A Vixen A Beryllium 1.72
1961 Wewak 60B Vixen A Beryllium 1.72
1961-63 Taranki Vixen B Beryllium 17.6

Monte Bello Islands.
Two separate atomic test projects occurred at the islands, the first being Operation Hurricane and the second being Operation Mosaic.
Major tests at Monte Bello Islands.
Name Date Yield Type
Operation Hurricane/Mosaic
Hurricane 3 October 1952 11:15 25 kt in the Hull of HMS Plym
Mosaic One 16 May 1956 11:15 15 kt Tower
Mosaic Two 19 June 1956 10:14 60 kt Tower

Emu Field.
The atomic tests at Emu Field in 1953 were known as Operation Totem
Name Date Yield Type
Operation Totem
Totem One 15 Oct 1953 07:00 10 kt Tower
Totem Two 27 Oct 1953 07:00 8 kt

My research from the aborigines that lived In the test zones and British nuclear test veterans from Christmas Ireland was subsequently removed from Facebook.
They removed everything.
Years of my research and statements from BNTV conferences in Western supermare.
Were all deleted and destroyed by Facebook.
I recorded every thing the BNTV British nuclear test veterans wanted the world to know.
I watched in horror as they all died of terrible post nuclear diseases.
I was silenced.
Subcequently the Australian Aborigines and British nuclear test veterans had lost the ability to create biological healthy families.
Mutant children that manifested from there broken DNA was heartbreaking and disturbing beyond comprehension.
 

dusaboss

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My research from the aborigines that lived In the test zones and British nuclear test veterans from Christmas Ireland was subsequently removed from Facebook.
They removed everything.
Years of my research and statements from BNTV conferences in Western supermare.
Were all deleted and destroyed by Facebook.
I recorded every thing the BNTV British nuclear test veterans wanted the world to know.
I watched in horror as they all died of terrible post nuclear diseases.
I was silenced.
Subcequently the Australian Aborigines and British nuclear test veterans had lost the ability to create biological healthy families.
Mutant children that manifested from there broken DNA was heartbreaking and disturbing beyond comprehension.
Hay , that was in defensive purposes. (They say). ;)
 
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