
I took this picture today (taken with my phone) because it reminds me of a great story, which I will share with you.
When I saw a manikin with belts placed around it like bandoleers and I was reminded of a story I was told by a World War I veteran about a daring young soldier who seemed to be bullet proof. The veteran has long since passed away and it is possible that I am the only person living who knows this story. So I took a picture with my phone camera and I now tell you the story so that it is not lost.
The veteran served in Iraq during WWI and spoke of the landings at Al Faw, a rapid advance toward Basra and a daring attempt to take Baghdad in 1915. He told of the enemy pushing back and a siege at Kut. He detailed the British counter attack that sacked Baghdad in March 1917 and spoke of the tough march to Mosul. Among these and other desert battles the "bullet proof boy" wrapped in bandoleers and dressed in desert garb, earned a reputation of being impervious to enemy fire. With an ability to run like no other he would charge the enemy lines leaping over barbed wire, dodging machine gun fire, and jumping into enemy trenches where even at close quarters bullets fired at him would always miss while every round he fired always found its mark.
One day, under a particularly hot desert sun, the British advance was pinned down by heavy enemy fire but the bullet proof boy was not afraid. Spurring on the troops he ran from a trench to trench dodging bullets and laughing at the inability of the enemy to shoot him. Suddenly, however, the bullet proof boy winced and he fell dead into a trench at his comrades’ feet.
The veteran sobbed as he recalled examining the body to discover that an enemy bullet had glanced and set of a round in one of the bullet proof boy's bandoleers - he had been killed by one of his own rounds. The bullet proof boy, therefore, died as he lived; enemy bullets could not touch him, but his own bullets always found a mark.
The next time you see a manakin in a department store dressed in belts remember this story and pass it on to a friend, this way the bullet proof boy who died before he had a chance to grow up and enjoy life, will at least get a change to live little longer in our memories.