Badge Of Dishonour

‘IN recent weeks, the British Army has been in the dock.

The Order of Vienna medal and Churchillian ‘V’ sends out a mixed message

First, we had the revolting sight of a few squaddies behaving shamefully in Iraq; then we saw pictures of a soldier pouring beer down a horse’s throat.

And now the Army is in the dock once more – or at least its badges of honour are.

For there in the Sun is a picture of Michael Jackson wearing the motif of the Cheshire Regiment.

And there he is in the badge of the Sherwood Foresters; the Royal Engineers insignia on his breast pocket; the symbol of the Royal Corps of Transport; the Wiltshire Regiment’s badge; and the Royal Warwickshire’s antelope.

In other times, this could be cause for the Sun to celebrate as it salutes the man who’s getting behind our brave boys fighting in the sand dunes and trenches.

But with Abu Hamza in jail and Bin Laden possible dead, Jacko is the paper’s official weirdo No.1, and that means he causes great offence to people when he dresses in such a way.

People like Des Mawby, who served for ten years with the Warwickshires. “I’m disgusted,” says Des. “It is totally inappropriate.”

The paper says that regimental secretary, Major Richard Mills, has been “flooded” with calls from outraged soldiers.

“It shows immaturity that Michael wears this without thinking what it means to our men,” says he. “It devalues it.”

Although, oddly enough, before his trial, no-one seemed to mind…’

Posted: 14th, March 2005 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink