Luck, or lack of it, matters to many Canadian soldiers on battlefield
Article Link
FORWARD OPERATING BASE WILSON, Afghanistan - At first blush it was a chilling sight: two rows of handmade crosses covered with the gear of Canadian soldiers.
A helmet and flak jacket adorned one of the crosses, while various kinds of military kit, including ammunition and clothing, were on the others. It was reminiscent of the final resting markers granted to many troops during the Second World War.
But here at Forward Operating Base Wilson, about 60 kilometres west of Kandahar City, it is only the sign of military ingenuity.
The crudely constructed crosses were put up to keep helmets, flak jackets and rounds of ammunition out of the thick, heavy dust that blows through this base on a regular basis. They also keep some unwanted visitors out of clothing - including the gargantuan camel spider, mice and even possibly snakes.
Ingenious or not, it's a little chilling for many of the soldiers stationed at the camp.
"I think that's pretty unlucky because it looks like a graveyard," said Pte. Francis Archambault, 23, of Valcartier, Que.
"That's purely a superstition but you see pictures where sometimes the rifle is pointed down and the helmet is on top. This is too much like that."
Instead of hanging up his gear, he is satisfied with keeping his belongings in a wooden box.
"If my gear is hanging on a cross it had better have my name engraved on it," he chuckled with a touch of gallows humour.
Archambault's discomfort with the crosses was shared by his friend Cpl. Christophe Clement.
"I guess I'm superstitious too. I just arrived here one night and there they were. Some of the guys are comfortable with doing it but it is hard to see it as anything else other than gravestones.," said Clement.
"I think keeping things in a box works just fine for me."
Superstition and religion have always been part of life in the foxhole.
More on link
Article Link
FORWARD OPERATING BASE WILSON, Afghanistan - At first blush it was a chilling sight: two rows of handmade crosses covered with the gear of Canadian soldiers.
A helmet and flak jacket adorned one of the crosses, while various kinds of military kit, including ammunition and clothing, were on the others. It was reminiscent of the final resting markers granted to many troops during the Second World War.
But here at Forward Operating Base Wilson, about 60 kilometres west of Kandahar City, it is only the sign of military ingenuity.
The crudely constructed crosses were put up to keep helmets, flak jackets and rounds of ammunition out of the thick, heavy dust that blows through this base on a regular basis. They also keep some unwanted visitors out of clothing - including the gargantuan camel spider, mice and even possibly snakes.
Ingenious or not, it's a little chilling for many of the soldiers stationed at the camp.
"I think that's pretty unlucky because it looks like a graveyard," said Pte. Francis Archambault, 23, of Valcartier, Que.
"That's purely a superstition but you see pictures where sometimes the rifle is pointed down and the helmet is on top. This is too much like that."
Instead of hanging up his gear, he is satisfied with keeping his belongings in a wooden box.
"If my gear is hanging on a cross it had better have my name engraved on it," he chuckled with a touch of gallows humour.
Archambault's discomfort with the crosses was shared by his friend Cpl. Christophe Clement.
"I guess I'm superstitious too. I just arrived here one night and there they were. Some of the guys are comfortable with doing it but it is hard to see it as anything else other than gravestones.," said Clement.
"I think keeping things in a box works just fine for me."
Superstition and religion have always been part of life in the foxhole.
More on link