Maité Roël of Bovekerke, Belgium is the youngest victim of the first World War. As a disabled war victim, she carries a veteran's card that entitles her to reduced train fares, but gets suspicious looks when she uses it. Roël was only nine years old when an RAF bomb that was inadvertently thrown on a bonfire nearly destroyed her leg. She underwent 29 operations and was addicted to morphine for ten years.
Roël is under the care of the Belgian Institute for Veterans' Affairs and War Victims. She has no interest in learning about the war that affected her life. Link -via YesButNoButYes
(image credit: Laurent Lenclud)
"We went on a scout camping expedition to Wetteren and I remember now that it was an old military camp," Maité recalls very slowly. She has tiny dreadlocks that hang down her slim face and a silver ring in her nose – not the usual face of a First World War victim. "It was July 6th, 1992. I knew nothing about war. I remember we all built a fire using bricks round the outside and the other kids starting throwing logs on it. I was tired and so I went a few metres from the fire so I could sleep. Then there was a sudden explosion – I woke up and saw sparks from the explosion. Everyone was running and shouting and I tried to get up and I couldn't. Everyone was looking at me and I looked down – and I saw that my left leg was hanging by a piece of skin."
Roël is under the care of the Belgian Institute for Veterans' Affairs and War Victims. She has no interest in learning about the war that affected her life. Link -via YesButNoButYes
(image credit: Laurent Lenclud)
November 20th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I don't quite understand. How can she be a war victim of a war the ended decades before she was even born? I would not classify civilians stepping on land mines today that were left from Vietnam War as war veterans. Maybe I'm missing something?"
What you're missing is proper word usage on your part.
She's a war VICTIM. You're comparing it to Vietnam land mines that affected people war VETERANS. Quite a different meaning to both words.
She's someone who lost a leg directly because of a bomb that was dropped in the area during World War I.
Not quite as dilute as, say, anyone else claiming to be a war victim because their grandfather was killed before they ever knew him.
She stepped on a bomb left from WWI
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-26yearold-victim-of-the-first-world-war-1824135.html
Brandon, contact the nearest US confederate VA and see if you can get the benefits...ROFL.....
I feel ya.
could it be that a new class of War Victims are emerging?
Imagine if all the world war II victims demand money from the Allied "invaders" for their handicap? why stop there, there is the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, Bay of Pigs, Panama, Bosnia, Iraq......hmmmmm
BTW - I'm not trying to downplay the seriousness of her injuries. I simply find the designation interesting.
This is common all over the world. France employers deminers to this day clearing WWI munitions...
I'm surprised she didn't learn anything about it in school? Thought the two world wars would've been an important part of modern Belgium history