Of the five heroes that died in the helicopter crash in the jungle, I knew one personally. He is Michael Charles. I was introduced to him and his brother more than 30 years ago by my cousin William Cox, who worked at what was then Customs and Excise.

I called Michael “Mike”, but we called his brother, “Charlie” who worked at Customs too. I visited the family home several time in those days. Over the years, as people drift onto new horizons, they lose contact. I hope to see Charlie if he comes for his brother’s funeral.

I met Colonel Michael Shahoud two years ago on the Forte Groyne seawall. I was with my dog on top the wall and he passed my way going into the building that houses the training division of the Coast Guard. It appears that he recognised me so he came up and said hello and we started to chat. Tall and handsome, he spoke in modest term. The conversation lasted for about three minutes. As he walked away, I asked him his rank and I was momentarily stunned when he told me he is colonel.

I can’t distinguish the insignia on a soldier’s lapel so I did not know his rank. I met him two months ago for the second time when on the Eve Leary seawall, I saw him going into his car. So, I approached him, and reminded him that we once met at the Forte Groyne seawall. I do not have a smart phone but if I did then on that day when he told me he was a colonel, I would have taken a shoot with him. Had that happened, I could have included that image as part of this column.

Just in passing, let me repeat what I once wrote in one of my columns. If you want to see the beautiful sight of the sun going down on the ocean as dusk arrives, then you have to see it from the Forte Groyne seawall. It is a beauty to behold. It is a scenic motif that can be compared to any other site and sight elsewhere. I don’t think a majority of Guyanese know about this Forte Groyne thing. Most Guyanese that want to relax on the beach to see the mighty Atlantic do so from the Eve Leary seawall.

As the evening wears on when you are at Eve Leary, you are looking at the expanse and darkness of the Atlantic. At Forte Groyne, where the Demerara River meets the Atlantic, you can see the coruscating lights of Parika dancing on the water. You should visit it sometime if you are a nature-lover.

I extend my condolences and those of my wife and daughter to the five heroes who died in service to this country. They went to the border with Venezuela as part of their duty to the people of Guyana. We should honour their memory by being respectful to their heroism and not descend to wild rumours as to what happened during the flight. So far, bad weather has been cited. Unless the people with definitive knowledge pronounce otherwise, please do not slip into unpatriotic vulgarity and invent a rumour mill.

Knowing the man that he is, President Ali will no doubt ensure that the families of those five heroes will spend a lifetime of comfort and will never be in need. I hereby make a suggestion. Can the state do the following three things for those five heroes? Change the name of the street where each once lived. Decades from now when people walk down the Michael Charles Street where he grew up, they will ask who he was.

They will be told that Venezuela had stirred up trouble on the Essequibo border and Charles was the pilot that flew a contingent of officers to check on the soldiers based in the area and the helicopter went down and five of the seven officers lost their lives.

Secondly, I am suggesting competition for five scholarships among GDF officers to study either at UG or abroad and each scholarship should be named after the heroes.

Thirdly, a collective bust of the heroes should be constructed and place at the entrance of Camp Ayanganna at Thomas Land.

You look back at the lives of these five men and you reflect on life and you have to come to the conclusion that when we talk about service to country, these are the genuine contributors. No 50-million-dollar car, no majestic home, no foreign trips every six months. They lived a life in their country that was dedicated to serving the people of their country. Goodbye soldiers! Guyana will also have you in its heart.