This month we celebrate Veterans

This month we celebrate Veterans Day on 14th November 2010. Primarily we honor the memory of those who served and paid the ultimate price in one of those declared wars that have always been part of our human existence. We also pay homage to the comrades of the departed, those who survived and returned to resume life among their countrymen, but with a unique place in their hearts for those they left behind in fields of valor. They possess a special bond that cannot be broken, either in life or in death, that distinguishes them forever as brothers in arms.

Guyana, since its independence, has been very fortunate in not having to send its young men and women to one of the catastrophic conflicts that produce "serried ranks" of gravestones, but all of us who have joined the colors and journeyed into harms way have experienced that special bond of brotherhood and sisterhood that is the hallmark of the soldier. We honor each other without reservation, perhaps because from our earliest days in uniform we came to understand the true meaning of "closing ranks" and "standing fast" and the interdependence of every member of the unit.

Very often however, it takes a funeral of one of our comrades to bring ourselves to speak openly about our feelings. At these times we lament that we never took the time to tell the departed how much we appreciated their influence on our lives. We say to each other "We should have said these things while he/she was alive".

And so this month we ex soldiers, even as we honor the countless dead, must also express our appreciation and commitment to our always dwindling living; first of course to the very few veterans of the 2nd World War still alive today (our grandfathers, whose legacy we now take for granted), and then to our own familiar comrades who forged the new national army and who guided and protected us as we left the comforts of our mothers' homes for the harsh and demanding world of national service.

Today active among us, we are fortunate to have a genuine hero of the GDF. Having said all that went before, there is no better time than now to pay tribute to our own Hartley Liverpool. We are grateful to the writer of the accompanying Tribute, Clairmonte A. Griffith, who has known Hartley from the first days of the GDF, for taking the time and effort to contribute this piece. We trust that readers will enjoy the information contained herein.

A Guyanese of Valour – Lt. Colonel Compton Hartley Liverpool

A professional soldier’s life does not fit easily into a biography unless the soldier is a senior commander, and then the biography centers on grand strategy and not the coarse details of the battlefield and/or the combat infantryman in the field.

This story is NOT about a senior commander, it’s about Field Officer Lt. Colonel Compton Hartley Liverpool, one of the Army’s (Guyana Defense Force) most decorated officer/soldier and the proud recipient of the Military Service Medal (MSM) for Valour for his actions on the early morning of Tuesday, August 19,1969 – his heroics in New River (Operation Climax) is a powerful credential !

Lt. Col Compton Hartley Liverpool was born on January 1, 1936 in Lacytown, Georgetown, Guyana (formerly British Guiana). He attended St. Mary’s (Brickdam) R.C. and Bedford primary school before entering Central High school .

In 1955, he started his military career when he joined the then British Guiana Volunteer Force (BGVF) and was assigned to Company C as a Private under the command of Capt. Cecil “Pluto” Martindale.

During his Military career he rose from a Private to a Lieutenant Colonel on soldierly abilities alone, learning each day .

He also successfully completed several military courses and achieved many first (1^st) as underlined below.

The Birth of the Guyana Defense Force – November 1965

On November 1965, Hartley transitioned into the newly established Guyana Defense Force (GDF) as a Corporal; attended the Conversion Course where he was selected the Top Student and promoted to Sergeant.

Immediately thereafter, he became the 1^st Platoon Sergeant of the 1^st Recruit Platoon trained by personnel from the British Army with 2^nd Lt. Carl Morgan as Platoon Commander.

1966 – He was assigned to B (2^nd) Company as a Platoon Sergeant with Lt. Oscar Pollard as Platoon Commander and Major Peter Hiscock of the UK as Company Commander.

Oct 1966 – He was sent on the 1^st Senior Non Commissioned Officers (NCO) course

held at Atkinson Field and Tacama Battle School.

At the end of that training he was assigned to the Training Wing, Atkinson

Field as an instructor.

Monday, March 6, 1967 was the day I formally met Sgt. Liverpool at Atkinson Field when I reported for training with a batch of 45+ men that included Godwyn McPherson; Winston Moore; Herbie Moe; Anthony Cozier; John Calder, et.al .

On that day, he was also conducting concurrent training with the newly established Women’s Army Corp ( WAC ) whose training was coming to an end.

He stood tall in front of this batch of recruits and explained the Army way in doing things as compared to the Civilian way and his dislike of ‘scivers’ / malingerers.

In short and my words, he explained the Infantryman’s maxim : The more sweat on the training field, the less blood on the battle field.

May 1967 – Promoted from Sergeant to Warrant Officer II

October 1967 – While holding the Rank of WO II, he was transferred from the Training Wing and assigned to B (2^nd) Company, as Commander of

the 3^rd Platoon.

December 1967 – Appointed the 1^st Guyanese Company Sergeant Major (CSM) replacing CSM Dawes of the UK.

May 1968 through October 1968 - Hartley was sent to the UK to complete the following three (3) courses :

1) All Arms Drill Course at The Grenadier Guards Barracks in Caterham ,Surrey. He was the first Guyanese to win the ‘Best Student Cup’ ( picture attached).

2) Senior NCO Weapons & Tactics Course in Brecon , South Wales.

3) Parachute Course with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in Abingdon, Oxfordshire where he earned his Parachute Wing.

October 1968 – Upon his return to the motherland, he was assigned to A (1^st ) Company as the CSM under Capt. Martin Nascimento .

In addition, he was a founding member of the Army’s newly established Rugby Team that subsequently went undefeated through

September 1969.

Tuesday, August 19, 1969 – New River (Operation Climax).

Hartley Liverpool distinguished himself by gallant, intrepid actions on the early morning of August 19, 1969 aboard a DHC – 6 De Havilland (Twin Otter) aircraft flown by the legendary Capt .Roland DeSilva .

Hartley took a sitting position in the nose of the aircraft armed with a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) en route to the area of operation (AO) from Apoteri, Rupununi River area.

His bold action and heroic disregard for his own safety while in flight and providing “AERIAL FIRE” was directly responsible for the Army’s success in removing the armed and occupying Surinamese soldiers and Djukas from our sovereign territory.

For a 1^st hand account of Operation Climax - New River operation.

May 1970 – Awarded the Military Service Medal (MSM) for VALOR (refer to August 19, 1969) by President Arthur R. Chung

Dec 1970 – The Scarlet Beret ( A GDF Newspaper) named him – “Soldier Of The Year.”

Jan 1971 – Commissioned as a Lieutenant (subaltern) and assigned as a Platoon Commander in B (2^nd) Company.

1972 – Appointed Officer Commanding Recruiting Division of the Training Wing.

1973 – Appointed C (3^rd) Company Commander replacing Capt. Marcus Monroe and authorized to wear the rank of Captain.

As Commanding Officer, he led his Company to the 1^st Drill Competition victory.

Jan 1974 – Appointed commander of B (2^nd) Coy replacing Capt. Robert Mitchell .

July 1974 – Seconded to National Services as Training Officer and Officer Commanding the Pioneer Corps.

March 1975 – Promoted to Major and appointed Center Administrator of Papaw Training Center, Matthews Ridge area. Staff of 200 and 1,000 + pioneers.

September 1976 - Returned to the GDF and appointed Base Commander of Camp Ayanganna with rank of Captain. Was also 2^nd in Command of the

Logistics Command under Col. Rex Owen.

January 1978 – Promoted to Major and assigned to the Training Wing under Lt. Col Fairbairn Liverpool .

October 1978 - Participated in a 5 week troop exchange program with The Black Watch Regiment, UK where he led a 120 man Labaria Company of the

GDF to Catterick, Surrey. He remained in the UK for an additional 5 weeks to complete the Combat Team Commander course in Warminster.

February 1979 – Returned to his prior command in the training wing .

October 1979 – Appointed Commanding Officer of Pirai (12^th Infantry) Battalion Replacing Major Rannie Johnson.

Under Hartley’s command, the Battalion won the competition and was selected the best in the Force.

1980 - Returned to the Training Corp while handing over command of the Pirai Battalion to Major Michael Atherly.

July 1980 Sent to Canada to attend Canadian Land Forces Staff School in Toronto and the Canadian Command & Staff College in Kingston, Ontario.

January 1981 Returned from Canada and appointed 1^st Commander of the newly established Special Forces Battalion that included Land, Sea and Air

Units - Recce Squadron,Air ;Jungle Company, Land; Marine Raiders, Sea .

1983 - Appointed Commander of the 13^th Guard Battalion (An all Government Ceremonial Unit). Promoted to Lt. Colonel.

The Unit won the second Drill competition.

1984 - Selected by President L.F.S.Burnham as his Aide-de-Camp (ADC) for Official State visits to Bulgaria, Ukraine and China.

1985 - Mr. Hoyt succeeded Mr. Burnham after his passing and the 13^th Guard Battalion was disbanded.

Hartley was then appointed 2^nd in Command of Ground Forces Group (all Battalions under one Commander) headed by Col. Robert Mitchell.

1987 - Appointed Chief Administrator of MATARKI (Matthews Ridge/ Arakaka / Kaituma ) Garrison.

1990 - Hartley retired under the mandatory retirement age of 55 after 25 years of active service .

Currently, Lt. Col. Hartley Liverpool resides with his wife Sandra in Brooklyn, NY .