Memorial Day Weekend.

The US appears to be experiencing something known as; "Memorial Day Weekend." This seems to be American for; "Bank Holiday Monday."

I gather though it is also somewhat similar to the UK festival known as; "Remembrance Sunday." Occurring in late November every year this is the day we mourn all those who fell. So you'll excuse me if I get all misty eyed.

Today (28/5/17) the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) have sent men - and in this case they are all men - into battle to liberate the last two remaining districts of Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

It has been a week where I feel I help more by providing local information rather than annoying foreigners. So I will have to try and catch up on that as it goes

However I do know that when you launch an operation such as this you do so knowing that some of the men you send out will not return home. Based on the 1st Battalion of the 9th Division of the US Marine Corp this could be as many of 9 out of every 10 of them.

Already today we know that 13 men will not be returning from Mosul.

I also know that the men who are being given these orders know that many of them will not return home. Yet they do it anyway.

So I'm sorry but it runs much deeper than;

"OMFG! You were stupid enough to give Beyonce money!?!"