Remarks by Col. Patrick Reese Davis
for the
Commemoration at Braddock's Grave
July 17, 2005
"My name
is Colonel Patrick Reese Davis, Countess Mountbatten's
own Frontiersmen, Legion of Horse. 
On behalf of Her majesty the Queen, the
Patron of our regiment, Countess Mountbatten of Burma,
my immediate Commanding Officer, Major General Anthony
Reed, and the citizens of the Commonwealth, I wish you
welcome. Very briefly I wish to offer a quote from one
of my favorite Englishmen, and a former member of my
regiment, Sir Winston Churchill, when he said,
"Americans always do the right thing, after they have
exhausted every other possible alternative." This
example of an early alternative, by English ancestors,
and modern events demonstrate the tenacity of
American's to endure and most importantly 'do the
right thing'."
Col.
Davis then continued with a letter from an officer of
the Royal Anglican Regiment which is descended from
the 44th and 48th Regiments of Foot that fought under
General Braddock at the Battle of the Monongahela on
July 9, 1755.
"Dear
Colonel,
"I
believe you are commemorating the 250th anniversary of
the Battle of Monongahela River this weekend. On
behalf of the Commanding Officer and all Ranks of the
1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment, descendants
of the 44th and 48th of Foot, could you please pass on
the following message:
"It is
an immense privilege to be asked on behalf of the 44th
of Foot, the Essex Regiment and the 48th of Foot, the
Northampton Regiment, now amalgamated into the Royal
Anglian Regiment, to take part in an occasion such as
this.
"It is
extremely heartening to know that in this constantly
changing and dangerous world there are still people of
sufficient good heart who stand to remember and pay
respects to the courage and fortitude of soldiers of
times past.
"In 1755
British soldiers were fighting alongside the legendary
George Washington and his Americans against a common
enemy. Today, literally, as you gather to remember the
fallen, the boys of the English County Regiments are
once more standing along side their American counter
parts in IRAQ. The successors of the 44th of Foot and
the 48th of Foot and the US Forces are standing side
by side against adversity in the Brotherhood of Arms.
"On
behalf of the 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian
Regiment, the "Vikings", we would like to send sincere
best wishes to all gathered today at the Braddock
Memorial. We hope you have a splendid day and would be
most sincerely grateful if you would, on are behalf,
pay our most genuine respects to the gallant
fallen of the Battle of Monongahela River."
"T. Jones, Captain
Royal Anglican Regiment
Saturday, June 25, 2005"
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