When Your Only Regret is Having One Life to Give to Your Country

I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. _ Nathan Hale (1755 - 1776)

As a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary war, Nathan Hale volunteered for an even more dangerous task. He became a spy and was tasked to go behind enemy lines, infiltrate the British Army and send back intelligence reports to his commanders.

Its not that being a soldier was an easy task, a safer one. No, but being a spy posed a much greater risk. Espionage was immediately punishable by death - no questions asked.

Unfortunately for Hale, he was caught. Other accounts have it that he was betrayed but that is secondary to the matter at hand. Just before being hanged, Hale said, among other things that "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

There is a dark cloud hanging over our country. We lost good men the other day. Brave men. Gallant soldiers. Patriots.

We are yet to come to terms with what exactly happened. How it happened. How many soldiers were lost. How many were injured. Much of the information we have so far has come from other sources, not our government. The very government that sent these brave souls to fight, nay, to die for us.

This, however, does not take away anything from this fact: that the men and women in the Kenya Defense Force (KDF) deployed in Somalia have gone there on our behalf, and by extension, that of the world. They have boldly, courageously, accepted the dangerous task placed on their shoulders for us. They continue to fight and die with honour.

Speaking to his disciples, Jesus tells them: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13). He tells them that they must love one another in the selfsame way that he loved them. If they didn't, would they still be part of him, as the branches are to the vine?

What more, then, can we ask of the men and women who put themselves in harms way for our sakes? We had a bitter exchange the other day on a Whatsapp group when some members shared disturbing photos that were ostensibly of the slain soldiers. Why would anyone share photos that dishonour the memories of deceased, portray them as defeated, wrapped in blood-socked mud of ignominy, belittle their gallantry?

What became of patriotism? Why would we play into the fear mongering machinery of terrorists and further their aims?

One thing that has always bothered me is the fate of the families of deceased soldiers. We know all too well that most of the soldiers are the sole breadwinners of their families. Is there a program to fight for our soldiers when they are dead and gone?

Even as we mourn, we must ask ourselves what the  financial and human costs of this war are. When, if ever, are we planning to leave Somalia? What plans are there to safeguard against  a repeat of such a loss on our side?

We cannot question the patriotism, courage and selflessness of the men and women in uniform. They continue to bear their task well and are ready to pay the ultimate price if it has to come to that. Their regret, like Nathan Hale, is only having one life to give to their motherland.

We must however continue to interrogate the nature of their assignments. There is need to review their missions and assess the righteousness of their orders. Just because they are ready to pay the ultimate price is no carte blanche excuse for those issuing orders to send them to their deaths.

These soldiers' deaths, and that of many others before them, are not in vain. Their sacrifice is inspiring as it is challenging. It arouses our love for the motherland in a way nothing else does. We tear up when reflecting on them, and remain awestruck as to where one gets such courage to leave the warmth of family and comfort of daily life and choose to be in harms way.

Indeed, as Joseph Addison puts it in Cato, these deaths are tragically beautiful:

How beautiful is death, when earn'd by virtue!
Who would not be that youth? What pity is it
That we can die but once to serve our country.

To those who have served, to those who serve, to those who will serve, we salute you. Because of you, we hold it true thus: dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.

Rest in Peace.