juantoo3
....whys guy.... ʎʇıɹoɥʇnɐ uoıʇsǝnb
Kindest Regards!
I don't know why but the Kursk tragedy has been on my mind lately. I don't even remember the date it happened, and so much has happened in the world since then I can't help but believe it has been mostly forgotten.
I guess there are a lot of things that remove that incident from our minds, not least politics and ongoing warfare, genocide and starvation, global economics and natural disasters. So little was reported of the incident because of its nature. It was, after all, a weapon of war manned by men of war, and its very nature required silence and cover, particularly from rivals in the West (read that: US). I can kind of understand the reticence on the part of the Russian government to accept outside assistance.
Yet, there were men still alive trapped inside. When time was a critical factor, I remember hoping Russia would be big enough to set aside its political imperitive long enough to rescue those men, even if that required outside assistance. At about the same time, there was a collapse in a coal mine in the states, and there was an equal sense of dread and urgent prayer sent out for those men as well. Fortunately for the coal miners, no doubt in large part because of the nature of their situation, they were rescued. Not so for the men of the Kursk.
In fairness, men of war go into service with the knowledge that theirs is a very dangerous occupation. One doesn't really know when or if one's "number will come up." It takes a very special kind of person to accept such terms. Submariners especially, more so than any other type of sailor, I think are more acutely aware of this. All it takes is one little mishap, one little mistake, and you and all of your comrades, all of your compatriots, are consigned to Davy Jones' Locker. This is frightening to most, yet there are a special breed of men who accept this challenge with courage and resolve.
I am reminded of honor and respect for worthy opponents. I remember hearing stories of a Christmas in WWI when both sides laid down their arms and sang "Silent Night" together. I remember hearing of WWI pilots of both sides meeting in the taverns at night and toasting each other, the next day fighting as fiercely as any other warriors on the ground or sea.
The sailors of the Kursk may well have been my ideological "enemies," but I never held a grievance with any one of them personally. And I still mourn their loss. I cannot forget the men of the Kursk, even though I never knew any of them.
I don't know why but the Kursk tragedy has been on my mind lately. I don't even remember the date it happened, and so much has happened in the world since then I can't help but believe it has been mostly forgotten.
I guess there are a lot of things that remove that incident from our minds, not least politics and ongoing warfare, genocide and starvation, global economics and natural disasters. So little was reported of the incident because of its nature. It was, after all, a weapon of war manned by men of war, and its very nature required silence and cover, particularly from rivals in the West (read that: US). I can kind of understand the reticence on the part of the Russian government to accept outside assistance.
Yet, there were men still alive trapped inside. When time was a critical factor, I remember hoping Russia would be big enough to set aside its political imperitive long enough to rescue those men, even if that required outside assistance. At about the same time, there was a collapse in a coal mine in the states, and there was an equal sense of dread and urgent prayer sent out for those men as well. Fortunately for the coal miners, no doubt in large part because of the nature of their situation, they were rescued. Not so for the men of the Kursk.
In fairness, men of war go into service with the knowledge that theirs is a very dangerous occupation. One doesn't really know when or if one's "number will come up." It takes a very special kind of person to accept such terms. Submariners especially, more so than any other type of sailor, I think are more acutely aware of this. All it takes is one little mishap, one little mistake, and you and all of your comrades, all of your compatriots, are consigned to Davy Jones' Locker. This is frightening to most, yet there are a special breed of men who accept this challenge with courage and resolve.
I am reminded of honor and respect for worthy opponents. I remember hearing stories of a Christmas in WWI when both sides laid down their arms and sang "Silent Night" together. I remember hearing of WWI pilots of both sides meeting in the taverns at night and toasting each other, the next day fighting as fiercely as any other warriors on the ground or sea.
The sailors of the Kursk may well have been my ideological "enemies," but I never held a grievance with any one of them personally. And I still mourn their loss. I cannot forget the men of the Kursk, even though I never knew any of them.
