American Knight: Congratulations Captain Thunder
May 2, 2005 | By Charmaine Yoest
Captain Thunder6
Lieutenant Thunder6 was promoted to Captain in a wonderful, and history-laden, ceremony. It's worth reading the whole thing -- Thunder6 writes beautifully, and his words take you to the scene. But here's his promotion ceremony, in the middle of the desert, in the middle of the night:
...As he finished pinning the rank the LTC half whispered “take a knee”. Once I had dropped to one knee he pulled out his tomahawk and gently placed it on my left shoulder. Then he told everyone assembled “he kneeled a lieutenant, now he rises a Captain” and helped me to my feet.There was no pageantry in that wretched field. Truth be told there were few witnesses – all eyes were scanning for contact. But I wouldn’t have traded the rugged midnight ceremony for any amount of pomp and circumstance. For an instant that wretched field was nobler then any parade ground - war be damned.
The Majesty. The Gallantry. The Chivalry. The Tradition. . . . there is something about the warrior ethos, so mysteriously masculine, that deserves preservation.
Tradition holds that women were not knighted on the battlefield as Thunder6 was. A Gentlemen would never permit a blade to touch a lady. (With few exceptions.) It was his mission to stand between her and the edged weapon.
Were it so today.
Comments
Beautiful post, and I share your sentiment with regard to the warrior ethos and women on the battlefield. ! Cao.
Posted by: Cao | June 4, 2005 4:34 AM