I served in the British Army between 1992 and 2000, mainly in the UK, Germany and Belize. My partner is also a veteran of the Balkans conflicts, and many of my friends are serving and ex-serving members of the military, who share my anger that people in government – most of whom have never worn a uniform, and for whom war is an abstract concept – claim to speak for the rest of us.
While I am sure they exist somewhere, I have yet to meet anyone from my own circle of military friends who has voiced genuine concerns about tomorrow’s planned march from Hyde Park to the US Embassy on Armistice Day calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Personally, I cannot think of a more appropriate day to demand a ceasefire than on the day we remember the mother of all ceasefires, to remember and honour those who sacrificed their lives in pursuit of peace and an end to war.
