Britian responds to a real man... one of its soldiers

By God, Sir... bloody well done.

In short order Prince Harry has been transformed from a young, pampered twit to a fine young man worthy of his nation's praise.

And his countrymen have responded appropriately.

Perhaps this praise will extend to all member of the UK's troops seeing as how Harry hasn't done anything not expected of and carried out by his mates.

Initially stonewalled from combat service by a squeamish upper echelon of the Brit Army and gawd knows what politics, good sense finally prevailed and young Harry has been serving secretly in Afghanistan on the QT. Photos.

But within 24 hours the leftists are attacking the widespread public praise for the young prince, in part because of the British media's agreement with the defence ministry to a news blackout until he returned.

That worked until unfortunately an Australian magazine, a German newspaper and Matt Drudge broke his cover, two days ago. Roundup story here.

British Army command said that after a three-week leave, Prince Harry would return to his unit, the Blues and Royals, and continue developing his career as a young officer. His request to return to Afghanistan with his regiment later this year has already been turned down.

Initially Harry, a Scimitar armor vehicle officer, was to accompany the Blues and Royals Regiment when it departed for service in Iraq about a year ago, but was held back by Britain's civilian and military leadership due to fears he would be specifically targeted by terrorists.

Harry responded understandably, threatening to resign his commission if he was prevented from serving with his comrades in combat. However, he remained calm and showing on-the-spot maturity, buckled down and no doubt pulled all the considerable strings he had at his disposal.

Twenty-five years earlier, Prince Andrew, Harry's uncle, served as a Sea King helicopter pilot in the Falklands Islands War despite similar pressure to have him remain behind when his squadron set sail aboard HMS Invincible. His mother, the Queen, insisted that Andrew remain at his post.

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Of this effort to deprive him of sharing the rigors of combat with his men, Andrew said, "... it would have cast doubt on my continued naval career."s

While still in country, Harry was said to remark, "I don't want to sit around in Windsor. But I generally don't like England that much and, you know, it's nice to be away from all the press and the papers."

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In part Harry's statement can be described by the phrase "he's gone a bit Asiatic" which was applied to many who served in the Pacific in WWII and immediately found the people, climate and the mysteries of the Orient suited them well.For them the din of battle was a siren's song.

This especially troubled the Allied military high command when officers "went Asiatic". Perhaps the most famous example of this "Western readjustment" was the young British WWI officer, T.E. Lawrence... who wasn't called "Lawrence of Arabia" because he was merely a romantic.

On this side of the Atlantic in WWII Maj. Evans Carlson drew negative attention and suspicion for "having gone Asiatic" once he took command of the Marine Second Raider Battalion which was patterned after the British Commandos.

And Harry has also learned the battle truism that generations of His Majesty's soldiers have learned--"When you know you are with the Gurkhas I think there's no safer place to be, really." 

Harry added, "Everyone is really well looked after here by the Gurkhas, the food is fantastic - goat curries, chicken curries . . . it's really good fun."

"They're all armed with kukhuris, so if they run out of ammunition they will charge you with their 'massive swords', as the enemy call them," he said. The Ghurkas' reputation for loyalty and fearlessness is legendary, as is their use of the kukhuri, a long, curved knife employed in hand-to-hand combat.

Prince Harry is to be promoted from second to first lieutenant on April 12, and it has emerged that he ranked third in his class of 18 training to become a forward air ­controller. He also reports that his brother, Prince William, is in the midst of RAF helicopter pilot training and is eager get a combat assignment.

Harry added: "He'd love to [serve in Afghanistan]. Whether it's on the ground or 15,000ft up, bombs strapped to the wings, I'm not entirely sure what the plans are. But I know he would love to come out here."

So here's a cup o'grog lifted to Bonny Prince Harry, a brother-in-arms, an Allie, a good man who has seen the elephant and passed the test. May the experience make him a better man for the rest of his days.

Gentlemen... To the Queen!