Justice for the 81st SPS? er, why?....

[puddlepirate]

As we all know the event on the 28th was partly billed as 'Justice for the Bentwaters 81st Security Police at Rendlesham Forest 1980' but I am at a loss as to what injustice the Bentwaters 81st SP at Rendlesham Forest in Dec 80 actually suffered. Perhaps someone can explain? (I am sure someone will...!!) As I see it dozens of US airmen and women must have been serving with the 81st at Bentwaters in Dec 1980 and accoring to LW, a sizeable number of them were ordered into the forest. Yet only two, perhaps three, ex 81st SPS airmen seem to have a gripe. Of those three, two appear to have had long and successful careers with the USAF and remained in the service long after 1980. As far as I am aware no other ex Bentwaters 81st SPS who were sent into the forest have come forward to air a grievance and nobody was invalided out of the USAF as a result of being in the forest in Dec 80, so where does this injustice lie?

[Deep Purple]

Fair comment PP and I absolutely agree with you
cheers DP

[pupil88]

John Burroughs has a serious heart problem that he attribites to the environment he encountered in the forest.

Larry Warren suffered radiation poisening that affecta his health.

James Penniston, while he doesn't talk about it suffers mentally and physically from his ordeal.

But then again, NOTHING HAPPENED! THEY"RE ALL LIARS!

That has ALWAYS BEEN YOUR MANTRA! Why should they complain?

[puddlepirate]

Pupil88: But then again, NOTHING HAPPENED! THEY"RE ALL LIARS!

Well you said they were liars - I didn't. I simpy asked the question about injustice. If Penniston and Burroughs suffered such ill health, how did they pass the regular medicals in order to stay in the USAF for so long, including (in Burroughs case at least) promotion to Sergeant? They might well be suffering ill health now but then it is thirty years later and Burroughs served in Iraq 1 where many servicemen suffered ill health as a result.

[IanR]

Surely the point is that, beforehand, we were told this was all about Justice for the 81st. That’s the name of their Facebook page. But in the event it was all about Jim and John, particularly Jim. In effect, people who attended on December 28 were sold tickets to a trailer for a TV programme. But no one could demand their money back because it was all going to charity. Clever.

Drink the Kool-Aid, guys.

[puddlepirate]

IR - yes, that's my point. It was headlined as 'Justice for the Bentwaters 81st ......' etc but as those who attended the event well know, it was nothing of the sort. As IR rightly states, it was the Jim and John show. The event in the hall was simply the introduction to the TV interviews that followed afterwards on the east gate service road. Oh, and of course the revelation of the code, or at least one page of it. Mustn't forget that.

ST - thanks for the link. That is also my point. Many of those who served in Iraq 1 have suffered medical problems as a result and nobody is at all sure what they might have been exposed to. Therefore, to suggest the medical problems JB is now suffering might be linked to Iraq 1 rather than Rendlesham, is hardly unreasonable.

Given the event on the 28th was entirely about JB and JP and no attempt was made to explain the need for Justice for the 81st, I for one was left somewhat confused about the whole affair. The only good point is that a worthy charity received an apparently sizeable donation. It is unfortunate that the event failed to match the hype. Also, if it is only JB and JP who have a grievance then why give it the generic label of 'Justice for the 81st....' ? If I were ex-81st SPS I might be a tad hacked off with that because it implies that the whole squadron is seeking retribution for some intangible injustice.........

This isn't a thread that will go anywhere but I thought it worth a mention.

[puddlepirate]

ST:I don't think he served inside Iraq - ask him.

From memory it came up during a lengthy telephone conversation I had with JB approx 3 or 4 months ago. I believe he served with a K9 unit in Iraq. Also if you search JB's posts on this forum in a post dated 14 Aug 2008 at 4:59 pm he mentions

Look at where I was deployed in 2003 for Iraq and I was also in San Vieto Italty in 1999 for what went on durning Bosina it was a special operation base.

.
If JB is still watching the forum perhaps he can clarify when he was first posted to Iraq.

[Gordy]

. The only good point is that a worthy charity received an apparently sizeable donation. .

£1923.46 was raised for charity.

[U Gotta laf]

In general, what is it exactly that people were expecting to see or be revealed at the meeting ? I thought that it was well put together, presentations were quite good (until that lady - Linda somebody - came on) so overall, good Xmas entertainment.

Also, what were people expecting to see when they all went off to the forest afterwards ? And I wonder how many people ran out of petrol, because at the exit door, when people realised I was a local, I had to give directions to several drivers to point them in the direction of the best petrol station to head for at that time of night.

I was the one in the yellow florescent jacket on a small motorcycle who overtook all the convoy in amazement at the number of vehicles travelling to the forest to see what ? FOG ?!
I stopped at the entrance to the forest so you knew which turning to take, then went straight home to bed. I'm sure the majority of 'enthusiasts' wished they'd done the same.

So, did I miss anything good - like ectoplasm turning into Brenda or vice versa ? Did the present occupiers of Folly Cottages come out with a shot gun and tell you to keep the bl***y noise down ?

Come on, something happened surely ?