On February the 6th two Finnish divers met their untimely end in a Norwegian underwater cave. http://yle.fi/uutiset/finnish_divers_final_rest_in_norwegian_sea_cave/7106932 This of course caused quite a commotion in Finnish media, not because the two daredevils dared Death and lost but because the Norwegian authorities "abandoned" them. The Norse saw that the retrieval of the bodies of the lost divers would be way too dangerous endeavour to execute. Instead the Norwegian authorities declared the cave off limits for further divers and a gravesite for the fallen two. Alas, as soon as the three Finnish divers from that unlucky group of five recuperated from divers sickness, they ignored the Norse authorities and fetched the bodies of their fallen comrades. http://yle.fi/uutiset/finnish_divin...rowned_divers_-_despite_norwegian_ban/7160182, http://www.thelocal.no/20140328/daring-divers-bring-up-dead I do not know, but I think that this story reflects the bond between all men who have served. There is no doubt that these divers were Finnish Navy reservists (most Finnish men are reservists), and we who serve or have served never leave a brother behind! Never! Isn´t that so GuardianAngel82, sirchet?
Yep. I think the Norwegian authorities did their job the way they were supposed too. And the Finnish divers did THEIR job the way they were supposed to. But I bet they were better prepared the second time they went in, the way they were supposed to be.
I never have, nor never will leave a brother in arms behind, regardless if he is alive or not. I carried my brother in arms for the better part of a morning, leaving his body behind was never an option.
Amen brothers! And Thank You. My work mate, twelve years younger than I, who has just finished his service asked me if the Norse can just abandon the dead in the cave, hence the thread. I had to admit to him that I did not know, I am no navy man. I told him that usually what and who are claimed by the Sea are left for the Sea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzjWz7TmXfM Luckily I was wrong. Nevertheless, the fact that some twenty year old truck driver worries over the fate of two fallen divers he has never met tells quite enough about our society and the military doctrine to never leave a brother behind. And I am proud of that. I do agree with GA in that the Norse authorities did what they were ought to do, as their responsibility was to ensure that there would not be any more fatalities. I can not blame them for that, as equally I can not blame the Finnish divers for violating the Norse law as they fetched their friends. Both sides did what they were supposed to do. Or at least so think. I have never had to carry a late or broken brother to home, thank God, and my deepest sympathy to sirchet for having to do that. I have only carried my grandfather, my pappa, to his last resting place. Lowered him to take his place right next to his younger brother (their older brother fell in the ww2 and rests in the church) his father, his grandfather, his grandmother and the line of his/my people. I only hope that when my time comes, no matter where I fall my brothers will bring my body back to my family to lay rest with the line of my people. And if not possible to burn my bones and cast the ashes to the sea so that the currents may some day carry me home instead to leave my bones to rot in some unknown soil or sand.
