The Poppy

As I write this, today's date is the 11th of November 2011. Armistice day. I could go on a political rant, or delve into the history of it all, but, to be honest, I find it difficult to write anything. I’m lucky enough to work with many radio stations around the world, but one that stands out particularly at this time of year is Garrison FM, the British Army’s very own radio station.

It was last summer when I was given an opportunity to enter one of their barracks to interview some soldiers. It should have a been a straight forward job, go in, grab some clips and leave again. It would be no different to my daily life of working in London in the world of celebrity, or so I had thought.

After going through the security checks to actually get beyond the walls of the base, I was then ushered through a series of corridors, after being convoyed half way around this behemoth community.

There, I was led past a series of bags with the traditional camouflage army branding, stacked up and waiting to be shipped with their owners, who were waiting around the corner, to Afghanistan. The atmosphere could have been cut like warm knife through butter; full of chatter, nervousness and laughter, most likely to hide the nerves.

I watched as these young soldiers picked up medical documents, passports and dog tags so they could be identified, incase the inevitable happened. One by the one, they entered and left the room. Each one of them paler than when they entered.

Interviewing them should have been a straight forward job, as I said before, but something in my heart said this was going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. As I stood outside with the waiting families of the soldiers, there was an air of sadness. How could you possibly interview someone who is just about to be sent half way around the globe, and then ask how they are feeling about the trip away?

I’ll be honest, nerves got the better of me and my voice broke a couple of times. But I did what I was there to do.

I was escorted off in the same way I entered, and went back to the radio studio, where I had to then sit and try and present a radio show for the next 2 hours. There was a frog in my throat, and I tried to reflected about my experiences on air.

It didn’t matter what was troubling me that day, it became insignificant after what I had just done. It made all the news stories that are so regularly on the television and in the paper, that are glazed over by the masses, come to life.

The boys and girls I met that day are one of the reasons I bought I poppy, and why I’ll be observing the silence at 11am today, and again on Sunday. I think Edwin Starr got it spot on; “War, What is it good for? Absolutely nothing”

For more information about the Poppy Appeal, visit www.britishlegion.org.uk