Whenever I address the issue of the 'Special Relationship' between Britain and America, I always have fun amazing the audience I am speaking to with the story of my Great-Grandfather's first visit, (as the Americans put it), 'Stateside'.
1895 was the year and Churchill was on his way to assess the guns we had provided the Spanish in their struggle against the Cuban uprisers. My Great-Grandfather recounted the tale so brilliantly and even admits that by the end of his time there, he found that he favoured the Cuban's position over our Spanish allies. Anyway, that's for another day. Many in both Britain and America don't realise that had it not been for an American, Bourke Cockran, a Congressman serving in the 50th Congress, Churchill's speeches may well have turned out to be terrible and in which case he would have failed to rouse the people and the troops, and we would have most certainly lost the war. Several times now I have had the pleasure of reading Michael McMenamin and Curt Zoller's book 'Becoming Winston Churchill', and each time it tickles me that the 'Special Relationship' Britain and America built through my Great-Grandfather and has been maintained somewhat over the years, has been so instrumental in ensuring the survival of both our great nations. I find Americans so stunned by this fact, I find the British equally amazed when I tell them as well. In studying my Great-Grandfather's life, and particularly looking at the accounts he wrote of people such as Bourke Cockran, Ralph Wigram, Major Desmond Morton and Brendan Bracken, I have come to the conclusion that Churchill was right when he wrote in 'The Gathering Storm': "I felt as if I were walking with Desitiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial." There were so many people who were unwittingly responsible for Churchill's eventual rise to power. Bourke Cockran was most definately one of them and there are many, many others. I thought I would just share that with the group. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ChurchillChat" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat?hl=en.
