Our Brothers’ Keepers
BDF Media Release| 28 October 2020
Photography and Story credit: Pte Straker K
The Barbados Defence Force (BDF) wishes to acknowledge the efforts of the Barbados Legion in maintaining its objective to provide assistance to our veterans, our unsung heroes. Such assistance was recently granted to Private Samuel Clarke with the refurbishment of his home.
Private Clarke has offered twenty – seven (27) committed and gratifying years of service to Barbados. During these years, he was a member of Alpha Company Platoon 1, serving under Company Sergeant Major (CSM) Carter. Clarke made it clear in an interview that he is thrilled to have spent his youth in the military and especially thanks CSM Carter for bringing him up the right way. “I would advise any young man to go and join the BDF right after school, you will learn a lot and enjoy your time in service. I even tell the young men from my neighbourhood to sign up”, he said in his time you didn’t have to worry about food or accommodation, and it was the best place for a young man to be. Clarke would have spent the majority of his military career at the Drill Hall and remembers the times he had the privilege to go to the St. Lucy Naval Base.
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Clarke, though he did have any overseas deployments, said, “if I was called to be deployed I would have gladly gone”. In his 27 years, Clarke says he has had the opportunity to pledge allegiance to the British and the Barbados National flag after being raised at the Garrison Savannah, and also paying his compliments to the Prime Minister of Barbados at the time Sir Errol Walton Barrow. He says one piece of advice for anyone joining the military is to “ensure to follow the command of senior persons and you will be ok, your duty as a soldier is to follow the Queen’s law”.
Garrison Secretary Warrant Officer Class 2 (Ret’d) Winfield Boyce, indicated that this project was made possible due to the kind donations of Barbadians during the 2019 Poppy Appeal Campaign. The Barbados Legion and the Barbados Poppy League is encouraging more Barbadians to donate during this year appeal so that they can continue to render the much-needed assistance to our veterans.