Ayo Gurkhali!
UPDATE: A grateful Britain reconsiders, says yes. Not sure how one becomes an “ex-Gurkha,” however. Link includes some details of Tul Bahadur Pun’s action June 23, 1943, storming a Japanese machinegun nest.
Gurkha earned a VC in Burma, wants to move to Britain for some regular health care* and so he doesn’t have to climb down the mountain to get his pension check at age 84. An ungrateful Britain says no.
* And you know it’s bad if he thinks nationalized health care is going to be an improvement.
If you’re not familiar with Gurkhas, you should be. Considered some of the toughest soldiers in the world, and the most fiercely loyal. A lot of people would rate them top. Not my department. I just appreciated their services on those occasions when they were responsible for the security.
(h/t my favorite site of the last five minutes. Good deal of naughtiness alert. These are my people: Pre-Victorian, Hogarthian Brits. Make that neo-Hogarthian Churchillist. And an h/t on that site to another one of my favorite blogs. Occasional naughtiness alert.)
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 12:31 am on Friday, June 1, 2007
7 Responses to “Ayo Gurkhali!”
Leave a Reply
Trackback URLYou must be logged in to post a comment.
June 1st, 2007 at 1:33 am
So the Brits will allow the jihadis in and give them a guaranteed living and other benefits, but they have no room for one of their own heroes. That makes sense. To someone.
June 1st, 2007 at 1:49 am
My father, may he rest in peace, was in CBI during WWII. He told some Gurkha stories. Something about being nervous about being asked to jump out of an airplane. Oh they said, we did not understand that you expected us to use parachutes.
June 1st, 2007 at 7:12 am
He now has a web site that has been set up by his supporters find it here
http://www.vchero.co.uk/
June 1st, 2007 at 9:47 am
Famous urban Gurkha myth:
Airborne instructor: Today, you will jump from an airplane at an altitude of 1,000 feet!
Gurkhas: mumble mumble mumble.
Gurkha sergeant major: The men are afraid.
Airborne instructor: Gurkhas? Afraid? Who ever heard of such a thing?
Gurkha sergeant major: They say, 1,000 feet is too high. Please, only 500 feet.
Airborne instructor: But the parachutes will not open at 500 feet!
Gurkhas: chatter chatter chatter (looks of pleasant surprise)
Gurkha sergeant major: You did not say anything about parachutes!
There’s another one about a Gurkha who made his way through 500 miles of trackless jungle after escaping from a Japanese death camp. They asked how he found his way, and he explained he had a map. It was of the London underground.
June 1st, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Celebrations, he has been allowed to come to Britain. He deserves it. Sadly the British do not treat our veterans as well as you do.
June 1st, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Amazing what shaming will do.
June 3rd, 2007 at 7:43 am
J: Word. That was the story. When I was 8, I was pretty sure it was true.