On the border

The soldiers and myself had a good relationship, and we knew that we could depend on each other. My sergeant was my link to the men and he acted as my advisor. We trusted each other and had an easy fluid relationship between us. He was a muscular, stocky guy with a nice, bright, open, friendly face, and had a good sense of humour. He was easy going, efficient in a calm way, and a good organiser. He had natural leadership qualities and had no problems controlling the men, as they respected him.We shared some musical tastes, and he gave me his Dean Martin’s tapes. He was a dedicated fan of Dino, so I think I’ll call him Dino. His favorite tune was ‘Little Ole Wine Drinker Me’:
I matched the man behind the bar for the jukebox
And the music takes me back to
He asked who's the fool in the corner crying
I say a little ole wine drinker me...
Dino would have joined the army as a recruit and after six months basic training be posted to a unit of his choice, which in his case was Infantry.During our stay on the border we travelled to a border crossing at Aughnacloy on the Monaghan border about twelve miles from Armagh, which is known as ‘bandit country’, where the customs post had been blown up. The British Army were on the other side. Myself and the British officer walked towards each other to where the border was. This can be recognised by the change and difference in the road surface. His troops were about one hundred metres in the background and mine were about the same. Both of us were about one metre apart with the line in the centre. We discussed what happened and where the bombers might be. We then saluted each other and went back to our soldiers.If you can imagine a foreign army standing on the ground that is part of the one Island, it feels like someone has broken into your house.