User:Colvin4992
About Me
[edit]I live in East Lothian, Scotland. I have interests in many places, such as in physics and maths, and also in computing - both hardware and software related.
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The War Account
[edit]Sergeant Steven Roberts was a tank commander who served in Iraq for the British Army. Below is an extract from his diary.
Thursday, March 13
Hiya mate, it's me. We arrived and got herded around for seven or eight hours. Got sent to the concentration area which was very sandy with no vehicles. They were still on the boat.
Two days later the vehicles were still on the boat and we were waiting for them to port.
General Jackson last week turned round and said: 'Yes, we are ready to go', and our vehicles were still in the boats ready to come into port so what a blatant lie that was.
Went down to collect the tanks. The weather has been very sunny. I have burnt, peeled and now I am peeling again. They have given us no moisturiser so I have almost used all of the hand and body lotion, which has come in very, very handy indeed.
... We are now back into one of the camps to up-armour, which again is a bit of a joke in itself, because they are running out of the frontal armour, so it will be interesting to see what armour I actually get. I will keep you posted.
Saturday, March 15
As I have written in your letter, we have now got absolutely nothing. It is disgraceful what we have got out here.
It's now time to up-armour again on my vehicle. Some of the parts have come in so as you can hear in the background, we are going into the armour bay.
Friday, March 21
We have been bloody busy with all the prep for the war etc, and it's going well. I have not got my combats yet.
Things we have been told we are going to get, we're not, and it's disheartening because we know we are going to go to war without the correct equipment.
It fills me with a bit of remorse really, and I think remorse is the right word.
Saturday, March 22
Today's the day, We are going across the border today and the ground war starts. I am very nervous but also it's a bit of a rush, to be honest, as well.
Sunday, March 23
Still very strange. I can't really sleep because I am too nervous that I may never wake up and that we are in enemy territory now and anything could happen.
Very, very conscious. We have already had cases of blue on blue, where American planes have bombed an American tank so we are very, very conscious of our surroundings and helicopters and aircraft as they come over.
... I hope you are okay and keeping busy and don't watch the news too much. Some stages they are melodramatic and otherwise they haven't got a clue what is going on here and I know now why I am over here doing what I am doing.
Because children are walking around with bare feet, completely ill-fitting and tatty old clothes, and we are over here to free them and free them from the regime they are under so they can grow up to be and do what they want to do, and that's the reason why I am here.
It was clearly abundant today and I wish that those tree-hugging idiots could come over and see what we see because it would change their minds completely.
I love you so much and I will speak to you when I can - probably tomorrow. I love you lots. Sleep tight babe. Bye.
Sgt Roberts was shot dead on Monday, March 24, 2003.
He and all other serviceman should be remembered for what they did for their country, and for their beliefs.
Colvin4992 (talk) 01:10, 20 December 2007 (UTC)