37
years served in Singapore Artillery
Chapter
39 (Weekly Flag-raising Ceremony)
In
1985, I aware that CO Sch of Arty@Khatib Camp, Sir Kam Heng, attended the weekly
Monday morning flag raising ceremony. The CO stood at the last row at the parade
square, set a good example in person at the flag raising ceremony, singing the
national anthem and recite the SAF pledge.
Unfortunately,
in 24 SA in 1976, very often the field duty officer, Lta ABC, failed to turn out
on the weekly Monday morning flag raising ceremony. The field duty officer
supposed to be the parade commander for the weekly flag-raising ceremony.
Until
after a monthly SNCOs meeting with CO, a Sgt EFG raised and reported to the CO
that Lta ABC did not turn out on the Monday flag raising ceremony.
About
an hour after the CO's conference with the SNCOs, Lta ABC, the field duty
officer, gathered the SNCOs, less the RSM who was not there.
Lta
ABC talked to the SNCOs in an unrespectful manner with threatening words. From
there, the SNCOs knew that Lta ABC had been called up by the CO regarding his
absence from the Monday flag raising ceremony.
At
the gathered of the SNCOs, Lta ABC retorted that the issue brought up to CO in
the CO meeting with SNCOs was merely childish and he was not get any punishment
at all. Lta ABC boasted and threatened the SNCOs that he could turn down or
delay their promotion. Many of the SNCOs didn't know how far it was true. If
that was the case, the SNCOs would be afraid and would shut their mouth in future
CO's meeting to avoid committing mistake of offended officers.
As
for Sgt EF, does it means that his career could be jeopardised by this "mistake"
just because he brought up a genuine care to correct an officer and wanted to
improve the unit standard of discipline and turnout on parade.
Lta
ABC further mentioned that he had seen the CO coming to camp late, because
of this, the CO was then unable to
punish him for the absence from the Monday flag raising ceremony. Though the CO
late for work, Lta ABC should not have said this in front of the SNCOs. And
what he said was irrelevant to CO didn't punish him.
This
was one of the unpleasant incident of Weekly Flag-raising Ceremony, Singing the
National Anthem and recite the SAF Pledge in the Singapore Artillery during my
days in 24 SA.
