Fergus writes... another guest blog

Sandy writes from England to say how much she cried at the end of Anastasia-Where Eagles Dare.

Sandy was so delighted that Anastasia had closure in the end and knew how much her mother loved her and anticipated Anastasia finding the Album. Sandy points out that it was so important for mothers to have closure on their sons who were killed in Vietnam.

We now all know the full story of Anastasia’s origins and future. Sandy asks what now for Anastasia? Well she has a health issue with her haemophilia which will never go away. It is controlled not cured.

Anastasia is taking a break with her aunt Judith and brother John and is going to Ireland for a well earned rest.

Sandy asks about John Windsor formally based with the 101^st Airborne out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, 5^th Special Forces Unit and more lately out of Fort Bragg North Carolina.

John Windsor like so many Special Forces found it very difficult to adjust to Civilian Life. The job of a Green Beret is to kill people. That is what they are trained for. It is impossible to turn it on and off like a light switch.

Children of Special Forces worldwide know not to act like other children. Never to surprise their father or jump on the back of this Automated Killer. They acted Automatically.

We deal with the relationship between brother and sister with a large age gap. John has missed having a little sister and the little sister has missed having an older brother.

Sandy asks about Barry Sadler. He was a Staff Sergeant in the Green Berets who wrote and sang “The Ballard of the Green Beret”. Unfortunately Barry Sadler was severely wounded in the Western Highlands Vietnam receiving the Purple Heart. His song Ballard of the Green Beret was top of the Charts for five weeks and in German was recorded under the title Hundret Mann und ein Befehl by Freddy Quinn and later Heidi Bruht. The Song has been adapted by many armies in many countries and adopted.

Barry Sadler was assassinated in Tennessee in 1989.

However, I must point out that this series is about Anastasia, not her brother John Windsor.

Anastasia is deeply concerned about the welfare of children, particularly disabled children, who in 2012 still suffer greatly. There is a thriving International Business in baby trafficking. Every time a childless couple accept a child from an impoverished country they are fuelling the trade.

Let’s face it. People only steal children because there is a market for them!

It is very difficult to say to childless couples, desperate for a baby, don’t accept the baby as the baby will very probably have been kidnapped at the other end of the chain.

Like all teenage girls Anastasia is horse mad and is off to the Fairyhouse Sales outside Dublin to take a look at the horses on offer.

Sandy says she has wept bucket loads of tears over Anastasia but cannot wait for more.

Anastasia is an inspiration to all teenagers suffering from a disability or illness and tries to draw a line between right and wrong. She holds it is always better to negotiate rather than kill but some people are just so bad that the only way is to put the mad dog down.

Sandy asks about Charlotte. Fear not she is still about, and old Mr Saggers and Ilya and Olga and of course Aunt Judith. The Hurley Gurley man Mr Stevens, has unfortunately died but he is never forgotten.

 

Fergus Wilson