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2007-08-10 Iraq
Operation William Wallace
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Posted by Chuck Simmins 2007-08-10 07:54|| || Front Page|| [11135 views ]  Top
 File under: Taliban 

#1 I wonder if we explain the meaning of some of these names to the Iraqis?

Heck, I wonder if we explain them to our own troops, although many, no doubt, have seen Braveheart. Come to think of it, I doubt I would've known who William Wallace was without the movie.
Posted by Bobby 2007-08-10 08:44||   2007-08-10 08:44|| Front Page Top

#2 "The Lord tells me He can get me out of this mess. But He's pretty sure you're fooked!"
Posted by doc 2007-08-10 09:05||   2007-08-10 09:05|| Front Page Top

#3 Aww heck, Bobby... didn't you ever read "Scottish Chiefs" when you were a kid?
Posted by Sgt. Mom 2007-08-10 09:25|| www.celiahayes.com]">[www.celiahayes.com]  2007-08-10 09:25|| Front Page Top

#4 Laddie, the bagpipe is a formidable instrument of war.

Do you remember the story of Bill Millin of the 51st Highlanders? Forty years ago today, British troops were pinned down near a bridge, waiting desperately for help. Suddenly, they heard the sound of bagpipes, and some thought they were dreaming. Well, they weren't. They looked up and saw Bill Millin with his bagpipes, leading the reinforcements and ignoring the smack of the bullets into the ground around him.

Lord Lovat was with him -- Lord Lovat of Scotland, who calmly announced when he got to the bridge, ``Sorry I'm a few minutes late,'' as if he'd been delayed by a traffic jam, when in truth he'd just come from the bloody fighting on Sword Beach, which he and his men had just taken.

Never, ever, mess with the guys carrying bagpipes.
Posted by Mike 2007-08-10 09:32||   2007-08-10 09:32|| Front Page Top

#5 The best news is that the Iraqis may finally be coming around to making their own legends.
Posted by OldSpook 2007-08-10 09:43||   2007-08-10 09:43|| Front Page Top

#6 Should'nt this be "Politically Correct Operation William Wallace". I doubt we'd be able to do 1/10th of what he did.
Posted by plainslow 2007-08-10 09:47||   2007-08-10 09:47|| Front Page Top

#7 Doon by Sterling Brig, the Wallace lay in hiding
As the Anglish host northward came a'riding
Tae the river Forth. At Tweedham Forth was roaring.
Onward still they came, o'er the Brig o' Sterling.

Wallace gave a shout - out his men came running,
Stopped the Anglish host at the Brig o' Sterling,
Forcing them around. The bridge was small for turning -
Murray cut 'em down on the Brig o' Sterling.

All the Anglish men ran intae each other,
Nane could turn about, nane could gae much further.
Some fell o'wr the side, in the Forth were drowning,
Some were left to die on the Brig o' Sterlin'.

Surrey he was wild - could nae cross the river,
Wished wi' all his might that the Brig was bigger.
Then he rode awa', with all his breath was cursing
Wallace and his men and the Brig o' Sterlin'.

Surrey and King Edward figured the Scots were tired, divided and demoralized and would be pushovers. So Surrey sent his knights forward across a narrow bridge with marshy land all around rather than spend two extra days to find a ford where the horses could cross. Edward was also too cheap (too close to bankruptcy) to send Welsh longbowmen to cover them. It was a slaughter.

And did My High Lord Surrey cover himself in martial glory?

He did not. While his men were being slaughtered he cut and ran with a few bodyguards.

Edward did manage to lure Wallace via false promises and had him publicly tortured to death. But perhaps not with the result he'd hoped for:

Oh, they murdered the Wallace for treason,
His body has long since decayed.
But no Anglish force can destroy him,
for Wallace is with us today,

Aye, Wallace is with us today.
Posted by lotp 2007-08-10 10:03||   2007-08-10 10:03|| Front Page Top

#8 If only the Scots had that spirit today, a great burden would be lifted from the English.
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-08-10 10:24||   2007-08-10 10:24|| Front Page Top

#9 It was a Scot who booted the flaming Glascow bomber in the balls.

It was Scots who conducted the bayonet charge against 5:1 odds in Southern Iraq.

It was a Scot in the SBS who stood firing a .30 cal from the hip at Mazar-i-Sharif.

The Scots have been holding their end up.
Posted by Chuck Simmins">Chuck Simmins  2007-08-10 10:57|| http://northshorejournal.org]">[http://northshorejournal.org]  2007-08-10 10:57|| Front Page Top

#10 Not the end of getting away from the English, though.
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-08-10 11:03||   2007-08-10 11:03|| Front Page Top

#11 the scotts could use a break from england about now, they've retained their sanity throught the last 600 years of english abuse and now seem to the clearest seers in the isles
Posted by Chiter Dark Lord of the Geats7878 2007-08-10 11:24||   2007-08-10 11:24|| Front Page Top

#12 The Scots have been holding their end up.

And while they're wearing kilts, too! How rude!
Posted by Rob Crawford">Rob Crawford  2007-08-10 13:02|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/]  2007-08-10 13:02|| Front Page Top

#13 Never, ever, mess with the guys carrying bagpipes.

Especially not [gasp!] the Queen's Own McKamikaze Highlanders.
Posted by Zenster">Zenster  2007-08-10 13:23||   2007-08-10 13:23|| Front Page Top

#14 So, how much does Scotland get from England? How much did that purty Parliment building cost? Why should England keep Scotland on the tit?
Posted by Yorkshire 2007-08-10 17:14||   2007-08-10 17:14|| Front Page Top

#15 And while we on the subject, deport Gordon Brown back to where he came from. Even my Scottish pal in London recommends it.
Posted by rhodesiafever 2007-08-10 17:32||   2007-08-10 17:32|| Front Page Top

#16 deport Gordon Brown back to where he came from

But, but, but ... he's off to such a fine start with his insisting that everyone forcibly decouple Islam and terrorism.
Posted by Zenster">Zenster  2007-08-10 18:34||   2007-08-10 18:34|| Front Page Top

23:59 Super Hose
23:39 Secret Master
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