Derry '72 - Soldier F

[midlifecrisis]

I'm glad that I didn't go to NI in my time during the 90s but my brother did in the 70s/80s and he said that it wasn't a pleasant place. You couldn't trust anyone, everyone was out to get you.
I remember going to his passing out parade in NI, and even I got a pat down as a 5 year old kid! Just glad those dark days are gone, NI is a great place to go now.
Personally, my thoughts are that we should draw a line under it and move on for the sake of opening old wounds. Maybe the government should acknowledge the actions of their role and issue an apology.
What benefit will we get from a conviction of a 70 year old ex-servicemen, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Remember the British Army was geared up to fight the Warsaw Pact not 'civilians' in the back garden.

 

[Wanderer]

I'm glad that I didn't go to NI in my time during the 90s but my brother did in the 70s/80s and he said that it wasn't a pleasant place. You couldn't trust anyone, everyone was out to get you.
I remember going to his passing out parade in NI, and even I got a pat down as a 5 year old kid! Just glad those dark days are gone, NI is a great place to go now.
Personally, my thoughts are that we should draw a line under it and move on for the sake of opening old wounds. Maybe the government should acknowledge the actions of their role and issue an apology.
What benefit will we get from a conviction of a 70 year old ex-servicemen, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Remember the British Army was geared up to fight the Warsaw Pact not 'civilians' in the back garden.

I agree 100%

But why did they send in the Paras? My NI serving mate told me the R Anglians acted like the police totally, helping old ladies cross the road etc, and were well liked locally. Heresay obvs. I think too the Paras had been engaged in NI on some other event and went postal (heresay again) but to me as the proverbial 'innocent bystander' was it case of sending the heavy mob into what was originally meant to be a NICRA peace march?

But either way, it's best forgotten now, NI is as you say, a lovely place to live and work as I have, so the GFA status quo as was before this dodging up has worked.

 

[midlifecrisis]

I agree 100%

But why did they send in the Paras? My NI serving mate told me the R Anglians acted like the police totally, helping old ladies cross the road etc, and were well liked locally. Heresay obvs. I think too the Paras had been engaged in NI on some other event and went postal (heresay again) but to me as the proverbial 'innocent bystander' was it case of sending the heavy mob into what was originally meant to be a NICRA peace march?

But either way, it's best forgotten now, NI is as you say, a lovely place to live and work as I have, so the GFA status quo as was before this dodging up has worked.

I couldn't possibly comment on the above. As you say, it was a long time ago. Let it be a reminder of a dark time in our collective history.