By Donn Morgan Kipgen
If we go through the recent bloody events and acts of terror in the last 2 years, it’s almost embarrassing and diabolic to say the least. Some unholy acts and disdainful show of vain might, i.e gunboat diplomacy, amount to uncivilised Tomahawk Diplomacy backed by acts of terrorism which also can be termed as Acts of Cowardice. Some reckless acts of dishonourable principles committed independently by both the State’s law enforcement agencies and various UG militant outfits completely compromised their very own duties and principles. Honour, duty, nation, moral courage and self-sacrifice have all been openly trampled and knowingly thrown overboard by modern man-at-arms and man-of-wars to suit their own interest and wishful ideology at the heavy cost of precious lives.
The terrorised citizens understandably observed all dishonourable and the bloody diplomacy on the ringside without any desirable comments. All armed forces and UG militants have many lessons to learn pertaining to honour, pride, prestige and acts of chivalry which directly inspired military and rebel commanders, special forces commandos and even civil servants to follow the civilised Right Paths to do the right things in times of armed conflicts. May be the actions of the Japanese Shogun’s Ninjas and the fame Samurais which made Japan a mighty military power for countless generations by following the code of Bushido could surely be read and applied here in Manipur to bring thing back to sanity, keeping in mind great acts of chivalry and supreme sacrifices written in history.
In 1974, one Lt. Hiro Onada of the Japanese Imperial Military Intelligence during World War II finally surrendered his rusty Samurai sword to the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, about 29 years after the surrender of Japan in WWII since the Japanese intelligence officer’s last battle order received was to fight to the last man even if the Japs Imperial Army surrendered in that battle-front.
Hence, Lt. Onada kept on fighting for another 28 years, killing over 30 Filipino soldiers with some friends who had since passed away during that time period. He finally laid down his arms after his last commanding officer during WWII personally went there to order him to ‘officially’ surrender at the request of the Filipino Govt. President Marcos gentlemanly accepted the Samurai sword and called him a ‘great soldier’ despite losing over 30 soldiers and had him returned to Japan triumphantly 29 years late. About three years back in 1972, one Japanese NCO, Sgt Yukoi, was stumbled upon by two hunters and marched him to the nearest police station where he learnt that WWII had ended 26 years ago after Japan surrendered in August 1945. Since he and his two comrades-in-arms had not received any order to surrender, they kept on fighting the famous Guam Island and Sgt Yukoi survived on living off the land even after the death of his two colleagues.
When, in August 1945, the pompous and courageous Gen Douglas MacArthur landed at the Yokohoma airfield to oversee the terms of Japanese surrenders, he and his aides, US Military commanders plus other Allied officers did not carry any fire arms, nor was he and other Allied Commanders escorted by combat troops despite the dangerous situation. For this act of displomatical courage, around 30,000 Japanese troops stood on either side of the road with their backs facing him in honour of this great ‘combat-statesman’. And when, as the Viceroy of Japan, thousands of hostile protestors were blocking his route to the Imperial Palace demonstrating their anti-American policy, Gen MacAuthur non-chalantly refused an escort party of US Marines troops. For this act of courage, the even more chivalrous protestors made a way for him and bowed to him as a mark of respect. During the American war of Independence, the famous Capt Pattrick Ferguson took a clean sight of Gen George Washington while overseeing the front line with his junior commanders. Just when Capt Ferguson was to take a heart shot, Gen Washington turned around which prevented Capt Ferguson to shoot a man on his back- that’s the rule of engagement even in the wild wild west. Shooting any person on his back was taken as act of supreme cowardice. But for his high sense of principle, a single bullet from Capt Ferguson could have changed the course of the American history.
Even during the free-fire Vietnam war, American snipers were dubbed as ‘murder Incorporated’ by the regular US troops. The infamous My Lai Massacre of 1968 in Vietnam was exposed by a US soldier, military photographer and a helicopter pilot of the USAAF, just like the recent exposure of the atrocities upon Iraqi prisoners at the infamous Abu Gharaib Prison. During the American Civil War period, a Southerner Lady, Ms Betty Van Metre, whose husband James was a PoW as a Confederate soldier, took a heavily injured and an abandoned Lt Henry Bedell, D-Coy, 11th Vermont Volunteers of the northern Union Army and hid him in absolute secrecy.
With supreme Christian value Ms Bettie had unhesitenedly despite one of her brothers being killed by the Union troops and another taken as PoW, (like her young husband) at the famous Battle of Gettysburg. Though the lady could be shot dead as traitor by the Confederate Army, she took into account that the injured union officer too would have a wife like her, praying for her husband’s safety. She valiantly took the recovering officer back to the nearest Union Army HQ much to the utter surprise of the general officers who were told that Lt Bedell had succumbed to his injuries within the enemy line. For her supreme courage and charity, the US Secretary of War issued an order to release the Lady’s husband wherever he might be interned. With the help of Lt Bedell and his wife, the young lady’s husband was found and promptly released, with gifts and awards.
Alexander the Great had a good teacher in Aristotle. That’s why he specifically ordered the famous Theban poet Pindar and his family be spared during his conquest of Greek City-states. After the bloody Battle of Hyd- espas, the resilient King Porus was brought in to Alexander’s court, tied in chains. When asked how should he be treated, the proud King Porus defiantly answered, ‘As a King treats a King’. Alexander the Great promptly released him and made him the ruler of all the conquered areas in North west India for his exceptional courage and leadership quality. Sir Winston Churchil openly praised the German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, in the British Parliament even as Rommel smashed apart the Allied forces in North Africa. And when commander of the British ‘Phantom Army’, the SAS, Col David Stirling was taken as PoW, Erwin Rommel personally congratulated him for his astounding successes and supreme courage instead of being shot as a spy. Moreover, when Adolf Hitler issued an order that 10 prisoners be shot for every German soldier killed by the commandos and Resistance forces, Rommel reportedly threw in the order in the dust bin, saying ‘he (Hitler) soiled our uniform’ with his cowardice act of terrorism.
Following Rommel’s honourable act of silent defiance, other non-Nazi German general officers also ignored such unmilitary battle-order by their Fuhrer. Two supreme sacrifices made by the British and the Allied commanders during WWII were still unparalleled. The British Military Intelligence (MI) had just finally decoded and uncoded the German’s super-secret Enigma Code which won the war for the Allies. During a huge bombing mission, an order for a new remote target in the industrial town of Coventry, England, was sent by German High command to their strategic bombers’ groups of the Luftwaffe through the secret Enigma coded message which was intercepted and duly uncoded even as the new most unexpected raid was within an hour time period. If an air-raid siren being sounded and batteries of anti-aircraft weapons were to greet the Luftwafe bombers in this most surprise of raids, the German military HQ, i.e. OberKom-mando der Wehrmacht (OKW), and its enterprising intelligence section would surely deduced or realised that the super-secret Enigma Code was definitely cracked open by the British miltary intelligence HQ.
Hence, no early air-raid warning nor any heavy anti-aircraft’s systems were put into action and thus the British High command and senior intelligence officers had to bear painfully and watch the total bombing carnage carried out by the Germans. And when the Allied intelligence learned through the German Enigma coded message that the aircraft which was to carry the British PM, Sir Winston Churchill, was to be sabotaged, the British MI had to rope in a Churchill double to board the would-be doomed aircraft since they cannot cancell the flight altogether to protect their knowledge of the Enigma Code. The RAF plane did blow up apart sans the real Winston Churchill but the Germans thought that it was a routine part of MI’s deception plan. Otherwise, to the German OKW, why would a pilot, crew members, senior officers etc on board the RAF be knowingly sacrificed if the British MI knew the sabotage planned by German agents was intercepted and uncoded! It was because of these two supreme sacrifices, millions of Allied soldiers were saved and helped won WWII, with the German OKW blissfully unaware that their super secret Enigma was actually cracked open and used against them all along throughout the war period.
Upto the 19th century AD, Kings, Princes, Generals or top most military commanders had never been targeted in any battle field by both the fighting forces. Kings and generals were considered honourably as two Champion chess Grandmasters. Moreover, opposing commanders talked to each other in some cases at the end of the day’s battle. Had not this unwritten law of non-targetting kings and top most commanders in the bloody heat of battles in most chivalrous manner honoured, we would not have Alexander the Great, Emperor Julius Caesar, Akbar the Great, Emperor Napoleon, Emperor Ashoka, General Ulyses Grant, etc as we know now them as great Conquerors, Generals and Emperors.
Source: The Sangai Express
If we go through the recent bloody events and acts of terror in the last 2 years, it’s almost embarrassing and diabolic to say the least. Some unholy acts and disdainful show of vain might, i.e gunboat diplomacy, amount to uncivilised Tomahawk Diplomacy backed by acts of terrorism which also can be termed as Acts of Cowardice. Some reckless acts of dishonourable principles committed independently by both the State’s law enforcement agencies and various UG militant outfits completely compromised their very own duties and principles. Honour, duty, nation, moral courage and self-sacrifice have all been openly trampled and knowingly thrown overboard by modern man-at-arms and man-of-wars to suit their own interest and wishful ideology at the heavy cost of precious lives.
The terrorised citizens understandably observed all dishonourable and the bloody diplomacy on the ringside without any desirable comments. All armed forces and UG militants have many lessons to learn pertaining to honour, pride, prestige and acts of chivalry which directly inspired military and rebel commanders, special forces commandos and even civil servants to follow the civilised Right Paths to do the right things in times of armed conflicts. May be the actions of the Japanese Shogun’s Ninjas and the fame Samurais which made Japan a mighty military power for countless generations by following the code of Bushido could surely be read and applied here in Manipur to bring thing back to sanity, keeping in mind great acts of chivalry and supreme sacrifices written in history.
In 1974, one Lt. Hiro Onada of the Japanese Imperial Military Intelligence during World War II finally surrendered his rusty Samurai sword to the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, about 29 years after the surrender of Japan in WWII since the Japanese intelligence officer’s last battle order received was to fight to the last man even if the Japs Imperial Army surrendered in that battle-front.
Hence, Lt. Onada kept on fighting for another 28 years, killing over 30 Filipino soldiers with some friends who had since passed away during that time period. He finally laid down his arms after his last commanding officer during WWII personally went there to order him to ‘officially’ surrender at the request of the Filipino Govt. President Marcos gentlemanly accepted the Samurai sword and called him a ‘great soldier’ despite losing over 30 soldiers and had him returned to Japan triumphantly 29 years late. About three years back in 1972, one Japanese NCO, Sgt Yukoi, was stumbled upon by two hunters and marched him to the nearest police station where he learnt that WWII had ended 26 years ago after Japan surrendered in August 1945. Since he and his two comrades-in-arms had not received any order to surrender, they kept on fighting the famous Guam Island and Sgt Yukoi survived on living off the land even after the death of his two colleagues.
When, in August 1945, the pompous and courageous Gen Douglas MacArthur landed at the Yokohoma airfield to oversee the terms of Japanese surrenders, he and his aides, US Military commanders plus other Allied officers did not carry any fire arms, nor was he and other Allied Commanders escorted by combat troops despite the dangerous situation. For this act of displomatical courage, around 30,000 Japanese troops stood on either side of the road with their backs facing him in honour of this great ‘combat-statesman’. And when, as the Viceroy of Japan, thousands of hostile protestors were blocking his route to the Imperial Palace demonstrating their anti-American policy, Gen MacAuthur non-chalantly refused an escort party of US Marines troops. For this act of courage, the even more chivalrous protestors made a way for him and bowed to him as a mark of respect. During the American war of Independence, the famous Capt Pattrick Ferguson took a clean sight of Gen George Washington while overseeing the front line with his junior commanders. Just when Capt Ferguson was to take a heart shot, Gen Washington turned around which prevented Capt Ferguson to shoot a man on his back- that’s the rule of engagement even in the wild wild west. Shooting any person on his back was taken as act of supreme cowardice. But for his high sense of principle, a single bullet from Capt Ferguson could have changed the course of the American history.
Even during the free-fire Vietnam war, American snipers were dubbed as ‘murder Incorporated’ by the regular US troops. The infamous My Lai Massacre of 1968 in Vietnam was exposed by a US soldier, military photographer and a helicopter pilot of the USAAF, just like the recent exposure of the atrocities upon Iraqi prisoners at the infamous Abu Gharaib Prison. During the American Civil War period, a Southerner Lady, Ms Betty Van Metre, whose husband James was a PoW as a Confederate soldier, took a heavily injured and an abandoned Lt Henry Bedell, D-Coy, 11th Vermont Volunteers of the northern Union Army and hid him in absolute secrecy.
With supreme Christian value Ms Bettie had unhesitenedly despite one of her brothers being killed by the Union troops and another taken as PoW, (like her young husband) at the famous Battle of Gettysburg. Though the lady could be shot dead as traitor by the Confederate Army, she took into account that the injured union officer too would have a wife like her, praying for her husband’s safety. She valiantly took the recovering officer back to the nearest Union Army HQ much to the utter surprise of the general officers who were told that Lt Bedell had succumbed to his injuries within the enemy line. For her supreme courage and charity, the US Secretary of War issued an order to release the Lady’s husband wherever he might be interned. With the help of Lt Bedell and his wife, the young lady’s husband was found and promptly released, with gifts and awards.
Alexander the Great had a good teacher in Aristotle. That’s why he specifically ordered the famous Theban poet Pindar and his family be spared during his conquest of Greek City-states. After the bloody Battle of Hyd- espas, the resilient King Porus was brought in to Alexander’s court, tied in chains. When asked how should he be treated, the proud King Porus defiantly answered, ‘As a King treats a King’. Alexander the Great promptly released him and made him the ruler of all the conquered areas in North west India for his exceptional courage and leadership quality. Sir Winston Churchil openly praised the German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, in the British Parliament even as Rommel smashed apart the Allied forces in North Africa. And when commander of the British ‘Phantom Army’, the SAS, Col David Stirling was taken as PoW, Erwin Rommel personally congratulated him for his astounding successes and supreme courage instead of being shot as a spy. Moreover, when Adolf Hitler issued an order that 10 prisoners be shot for every German soldier killed by the commandos and Resistance forces, Rommel reportedly threw in the order in the dust bin, saying ‘he (Hitler) soiled our uniform’ with his cowardice act of terrorism.
Following Rommel’s honourable act of silent defiance, other non-Nazi German general officers also ignored such unmilitary battle-order by their Fuhrer. Two supreme sacrifices made by the British and the Allied commanders during WWII were still unparalleled. The British Military Intelligence (MI) had just finally decoded and uncoded the German’s super-secret Enigma Code which won the war for the Allies. During a huge bombing mission, an order for a new remote target in the industrial town of Coventry, England, was sent by German High command to their strategic bombers’ groups of the Luftwaffe through the secret Enigma coded message which was intercepted and duly uncoded even as the new most unexpected raid was within an hour time period. If an air-raid siren being sounded and batteries of anti-aircraft weapons were to greet the Luftwafe bombers in this most surprise of raids, the German military HQ, i.e. OberKom-mando der Wehrmacht (OKW), and its enterprising intelligence section would surely deduced or realised that the super-secret Enigma Code was definitely cracked open by the British miltary intelligence HQ.
Hence, no early air-raid warning nor any heavy anti-aircraft’s systems were put into action and thus the British High command and senior intelligence officers had to bear painfully and watch the total bombing carnage carried out by the Germans. And when the Allied intelligence learned through the German Enigma coded message that the aircraft which was to carry the British PM, Sir Winston Churchill, was to be sabotaged, the British MI had to rope in a Churchill double to board the would-be doomed aircraft since they cannot cancell the flight altogether to protect their knowledge of the Enigma Code. The RAF plane did blow up apart sans the real Winston Churchill but the Germans thought that it was a routine part of MI’s deception plan. Otherwise, to the German OKW, why would a pilot, crew members, senior officers etc on board the RAF be knowingly sacrificed if the British MI knew the sabotage planned by German agents was intercepted and uncoded! It was because of these two supreme sacrifices, millions of Allied soldiers were saved and helped won WWII, with the German OKW blissfully unaware that their super secret Enigma was actually cracked open and used against them all along throughout the war period.
Upto the 19th century AD, Kings, Princes, Generals or top most military commanders had never been targeted in any battle field by both the fighting forces. Kings and generals were considered honourably as two Champion chess Grandmasters. Moreover, opposing commanders talked to each other in some cases at the end of the day’s battle. Had not this unwritten law of non-targetting kings and top most commanders in the bloody heat of battles in most chivalrous manner honoured, we would not have Alexander the Great, Emperor Julius Caesar, Akbar the Great, Emperor Napoleon, Emperor Ashoka, General Ulyses Grant, etc as we know now them as great Conquerors, Generals and Emperors.
Source: The Sangai Express
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