Posted on 07/14/2008 4:28:53 PM PDT by batco-barry
It is with the deepest sorrow that I have to belatedly report the death in service of my late husband. My husband was a soldier of the British Army with an 18yr service record and combat experience from Northern Ireland to Afghanistan. He was a strong man and a doting father to his 2 children.
He passed away in May due to injuries he sustained whilst serving abroard.
My Husband had been through a hard time the past 18 months, which saw him in civilian court for protecting his family then being accused of a crime he did not commit and was later found not guilty of. He learned that within 10 years he may not be able to walk due to a degenerative tissue disease in his spine caused by the work he did. Despite all this, he kept a positive outlook and believed in all that he did.
In his death chit, my husband said he'd achieved everything he'd set out to achieve from the moment he left secondary school. He knew he wasn't going to die of old age and he didn't want to. His death chit was wrote in Sierra Leonne in 2000.
He met lifes hardships with vigour and relished beating them. He constantly tested himself and enjoyed such tests as the marathon des sables, and was a keen marathon runner before the start of deterioration to his body, and regularly ran sub 3hr times. He was a keen mountaineer and loved being in isolation away from everything.
The last period i spent with him was extremely upsetting as his back was in constant pain and he relied on anti-inflammatories to get him through his work.
I have seen some of the comments to my husband on here and it upsets me, but I know he wouldn't have been, 'in one ear, out the other' he used to say. My husband was a hard man and undeserved of some of the comments, but I guess people really don't know who they're cursing from behind the screen of a computer. However, I also know my husband met and became friends with people from here and that he first started commenting on this site during his stay as liaison in the US during 2000/01.
It has been my pleasure to have known him and be a part of his life, and I will miss him so much.
Sorry for you loss. You will be in all FReepers prayers. All we veterans hate to lose our brothers.
My most sincere condolences.
Rest in peace, Soldier.
Prayers for you and yours....
One of the finest men the rest of the world may never know. Thanks for letting us know about him. Condolences to you, your family and your husband’s friends.
Britain’s finest, the world’s finest. R.I.P. sir.
love
In spite of what many might say, he did not die in vain, but in a cause to keep us all free and safe. All of us, Yanks and Brits alike.
El Gato
Captain USAFR(ret)
I’m sorry to hear about your loss. My sympathies to you.
.
My most sincere condolences.
Rest in peace, Soldier
We salute you .
Prayers for your husband, you, and your whole family.
Many thanks for his service. Here are the last postings from batco-barry to learn a little more about this fine gentleman: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1999351/posts “Personally, I have been out of the country on operations in the past 8 yrs more than i’ve been in it, If I was a statistics man i’d say that i’ve probably been away for about 85% of that time, much to the annoyance of my ever suffering wife and children. I have been to both Afghanistan and Iraq more than once, I have been to Sierra Leonne along with 2 other African countries, I’ve been to Kosovo, and in all this time I spent was intermittently in the US over an 18 month period from late 2000, as a liaison. I have spent more time in Iraq and Afghanistan than 99.9% of US soldiers, as have the bulk of my men.” and “My grasp on the finer points of the politics of the EU is limited. I guess I have a few stand points on it, and that’s that they can go fu*k themselves, I don’t want to be a part of Europe, I don’t consider myself European. I think the EC is corrupt and that there’s too much ‘water under the bridge’ and personal nationalistic interests for it to ever work. Britain is no longer Britain.....” RIP Mr. Barry!
I’m so sorry for your loss. God bless you and your family - all are in my prayers.
Rest in peace, Soldier—— Condolences to family......
Please accept my condolences for your loss, and my apologies on behalf of any Freeper who had harsh words for your husband. Your family will be in my prayers.
May our Heavenly Father bless you, your family and all who loved your husband with comfort and peace.
Ma’am, I’m very sorry to hear of your husband’s passing. You and your family are in my prayers. Thank you, for supporting him all these years as a military man and family man and we are grateful for his service.
My sincere condolences
Having taken a few moments to read through some of his commentary, I can attest that he was one of a kind who will be missed here.
My condolences. He seems like he was quite a guy. Intelligent, sharp, well-spoken.
If a few of us occasionally took issue with him over one thing or another, you have to know one of life’s great pleasures is the opportunity to cross swords with a man of his caliber. You’ll usually lose, but what fun. There is no shame in being out-argued by a man like him who knows whereof he speaks.
May he rest in peace. May we all meet up on the other side one day to continue the conversation.
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