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The Legion was for exuberant behaviour

Mar 08, 2013 Letters

 

 

Dear Editor,
Please allow me the opportunity to respond to the letter in Kaieteur News edition of Wednesday March 6, 2013 ‘Taking over the Legion’.  First of all I would like to apologise to the President, Executive and Members for being malaise in producing a statement regarding the incidents of Sunday 24 February, 2013, thereby giving the “Cowardly Legionaire” the opportunity of striking the first blow.
Secondly I will also like to apologise to the “bona fide Members” of the Guyana Legion for the exuberance displayed by the Members of the XGDF.
Any interested person can research the origin of the Guyana Legion. In so doing, they will discover that the primary purpose was to provide ‘a place of congregation’ for returning Members of the South Caribbean Forces of World Wars 1 and 11. The idea was to insulate the rest of the Society by confining their rough and raucous behaviour and language.
History is replete with examples of un-acceptable behaviour of Ex-Military and even serving personnel on occasions; Lt Calley of the United States Army in Vietnam, the recent allegations of serving GDF personnel and of course the incidents recounted by the stated Legionnaire on February 24, 2013. Soldiers and ex soldiers can become over-zealous in the execution of their objectives.
At the birth of the Guyana Defence Force little or no consideration was given to the resettlement or retirement of its Members. Three and a half decades later the Ex GDF was formed. This was necessary after numerous requests for assistance by former Military persons unfortunate enough to be alive and in the land of their birth, to their “Squaddies” who might be experiencing better fortunes in other countries they adopted as home.
These unfortunate persons, now Ex-GDF, are often in poor physical help and in dire economic straits with little or no place or person to turn to. The Ex GDF serves as an NGO providing solace, comfort and relief to its Members with virtually no help from Government and very little from the Guyana Legion. The Government, the GDF, and the Legion have failed in their respective mandates to past Members of the GDF.
Efforts by the EX GDF to gain attention and assistance from the government are met with response of the need for a unified body, yet Ex GDF members are stymied at every attempt to gain membership of the Legion in an attempt to protect the ‘status quo’ of its Central Executives.
The Legion has 415 members, the Ex GDF has 1650, who deserves more right to be members, who has a greater need. Please be bold and do not shelter behind anonymity , alleged legitimacy of age and self righteousness.
Gerald Payne
Ex Lieutenant
Public Relations Officer

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