Joe Glenton is a ‘deserter’ (From York Press)
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Joe Glenton is a ‘deserter’
10:40am Thursday 11th March 2010 in
Am I missing something? Mr C Patmore (Soldier “spoke out for many”, Letters, March 9) laments the imprisonment of the “brave” soldier Joe Glenton.
Is not the gentleman in question, a volunteer, a military deserter? Such behaviour, happily no longer the case, would in the past have attracted a much more severe penalty than incarceration. I find it astonishing that anyone can be an apologist for someone in the armed services embarking on such a course of action. Indiscipline like this is disgraceful and deserves punishment.
As for Mr Patmore’s views on the Afghanistan situation, they are simplistic. There are far too many armchair generals, with all their inside information, assaulting us with their “expert” analysis and giving us the benefit of their solution to such matters. I prefer to leave that to those in the know and who are in receipt of the intelligence and facts.
Thomas Strong, Foxwood Lane, York.
Comments(5)
Alucard
says...
1:23pm Thu 11 Mar 10
The issue is that if a soldier has a conscience about fighting there are procedures available leading to leaving the forces, going AWOL is not conscience it is cowardice
SIMON
says...
5:44pm Thu 11 Mar 10
Alucard wrote:So was every act of desertion in wars cowardice, have you heard of battle fatigue or stress-syndrome?
The AWOL quote does not mean they all did so for same reasons as against war in Afghanistan, I was classified for sleeping off to much drink once. The issue is that if a soldier has a conscience about fighting there are procedures available leading to leaving the forces, going AWOL is not conscience it is cowardice
SIMON
says...
5:53pm Thu 11 Mar 10
SIMON wrote:I did not say that. Note my last paragraph again: today there are procedures to get out. Previous wars had no such procedures, only AWOL or desertion. If this soldier really acted in conscience then he should have followed the procedures, and that would have been a real act of bravery, as others have over this war which I strongly oppose. Stress is a real issue and is recognised and responded to today, but stress is not a part of Joe Glenton’s case, unless I have missed something in the reporting.
Alucard wrote: The AWOL quote does not mean they all did so for same reasons as against war in Afghanistan, I was classified for sleeping off to much drink once. The issue is that if a soldier has a conscience about fighting there are procedures available leading to leaving the forces, going AWOL is not conscience it is cowardiceSo was every act of desertion in wars cowardice, have you heard of battle fatigue or stress-syndrome?
petethefeet
says...
9:34pm Thu 11 Mar 10
But, regardless of the above, we don't need loose canons. Joe let my Nephew down.
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Zetkin says...
11:24am Thu 11 Mar 10
`
There have surely been more than enough militray disasters for us to have long since realised that "those in the know" are rarely to be trusted with the lives of our young men and women.
`
Secondly, on a point of fact, L/Cpl Glenton was not found guilty of desertion.
`
Third, around 2000 service personnel went AWOL last year (MoD figures) suggesting that Joe Glenton does indeed speak for many and that the men & women on the ground have a better idea of what a disaster this war is than do the generals, politicians, and their apologists.