ARMED FORCES DAY 2010

26 June 2010: Armed Forces Day in Cardiff. We bus into town and
join the crowd of 50,000 fellow Brits in blazing sunshine in the city
centre. We clap and cheer along with the others as 1,000 sailors,
soldiers and airmen march by, led by the band of the Royal Marines.

The Royal Navy (Senior Service) are first, then several contingents
of the army, Guards, Dragoons, Infantry; colourful in their dress
uniforms, blues and reds and desert sands, then the RAF, along
with their Regiment, in their sky blue; each contingent led by its
own band, brass or silver, and stirring marching beat.

We follow them from Cardiff Castle to Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff

Bay, with military music, marching feet, clapping and cheering all
the way.

Now the march past with the Prince of Wales taking the salute.
No show of might or strength, force, threat or aggression, like our
friends in Russia, China and North Korea so often treat us to.
No. This is British stuff to make you proud; dedicated to our young
service people, Brits, and kids from the Commonwealth, smart,
disciplined, skilled and willing to serve humanity; and more,
something indefinable that takes in selflessness, camaraderie,
heroism – and ambitious enthusiastic youth. I can’t find the word
but let’s say – feel-good … British feel-good.

Now it’s the Drumhead Service. The prayers are appropriate and
cover it all; self-sacrifice, past and present. Speeches are few, short
and relevant. And now, maybe the most moving moment of the
day, a giant Lancaster Bomber roars overhead; a Spitfire escorting
from behind like a faithful hound. Ghosts of the past mirrored in the
youth below; feel-good again.

The parade is dismissed – enjoy the fun of the fair; stalls and
demonstrations by the army, marines and air force; there’s military
hardware here, not a lot, we don’t have a lot, tanks, guns,
armoured vehicles, the frigate HMS Kent open to the public. No
aggressive stuff, more a recruiting drive, come and join us, get a
life; cheek by jowl with military bands, a jazz group, tumblers, and
comedians, burgers, fish and chips, bars and restaurants, tables in
the sun – Cardiff Bay.

Now for my only criticism, and I lay this at the feet of the MOD and
above. The Finale is billed as a Dynamic Display – Sea King Search
And Rescue; Helicopter Formation Flyover; Sea Hawk Flyover;
Harrier Formation Flyover; and to round off the day … Red Arrows
Flyover. And we get just that, exactly what it says on the box, so
we can’t complain. First, the SAR Display out in the bay – and this is
brilliant; a 20 minute demonstration of skill and daring; so far so
good. And then come the flyovers – and they are just that –
flyovers. Ten minutes after the SAR finishes 5 helicopters fly over in
V formation, how long does that take? Three minutes? Wait 10
minutes then a Sea Hawk whips over, taking a few seconds. Wait 10
minutes then Harriers come and go even quicker. But never mind,
we’ve still got the big one, the Red Arrows Finale. Then whoosh,
some jets roar out of nowhere then disappear into nowhere leaving
a colour trail behind them. ‘They’ll be back,’ murmur the transfixed
crowd, staring at the empty blue. ‘They’ll be back … They’re the Red
Arrows ... They do all kinds of wonderful stunts ... So they’ll … be …
back …’ Realisation dawns. ‘Ah well …. Sod it ... Make a dash for the
bus ... Beat the crowd.’

And that’s it; apart from the SAR there’s not a lot of dynamism. Like
I say we get what’s on the box, so no complaints. I know we are
strapped for cash but I can’t help feeling that 1,000 loyal troops and
50,000 taxpaying well-wishers who wait to the bitter end in a frying
sun on a broiling day deserve a bit more. After all, the very name
Red Arrows conjures up exciting pictures of near collisions and
derring-do, even when the posters say Fly-over. It’s like a prayerful
wait for the cavalry, then they go galloping past. You think ‘… eh?’

But for all that, here’s the real point I want to make.
Here I am, among a crowd of 50,000 people and 1,000 troops and
dignitaries – and I feel so … insignificant. And, maybe, you and
thousands of others in the same circumstances might feel the
same; insignificant. Like, ‘It wouldn’t matter if I wasn’t here. It
would all go on just the same if I had stayed at home and read a
book, or whatever.

Wrong my friend!

Wrong!

Without me, without my wife, without each and every one of these
other insignificant people there would never have been a crowd of
50,000. Without each and every individual, there wouldn’t be an
Armed Forces Day. Without every Jack and Jill in uniform there
wouldn’t be any Armed Force. We might all feel insignificant – but
we each count; you and I count – both of us, equally; as much as
the best of ‘em! Get a grip on that. You count!

To prove my point … things don’t come much smaller or more

insignificant than atoms. Individually atoms are pretty pointless –
99% space. And yet everything in the Universe is composed entirely
of atoms – insignificant little gits like you and I. And that goes for
The Great Star of Africa – the world’s most priceless diamond. The
Great Star is composed entirely, and only, of atoms; each of them
insignificant. But if all those insignificant blobs of electricity never
came together, that diamond wouldn’t exist.

That’s all I wanted to say in the first place.

You Count!

So goodonya!

Charlie Gregory
Cardiff
Armed Forces Day
2010