EAST BELFAST BROUGHT TO A STANDSTILL, AS A TRIBUTE TO VOLUNTEER KEN OWENS.
Traffic in both lanes of the Newtownards Road, were completely blocked off and brought to a standstill, from Templemore Avenue, right up to the junction with the Albertbridge Road on Monday the 27 th of April, as the Red Hand Commando draped coffin, of our loyal friend and gallant Comrade, Volunteer Ken Owens, was shouldered with pride and fitting military precision, at a slow march, in the centre of the road, right up to the Red Hand Commando Memorial at the top of the Newtownards Road, where a totally respectful one minutes silence was observed, before proceeding to Roselawn Cemetery, for burial, with well earned Military Honours.
Ken Owens, was a totally sincere, Ulster Volunteer and Red Hand Commando, of the early seventies. Ken gladly stepped forward and served his Country, at a time when civil war seemed to be inevitable.
Ken took up arms in defence of the democratic right of the ordinary decent people of Northern Ireland to decide their own destiny, free from the constant threat of, bitter, twisted, Irish Republican terrorism.
Ken Owens, a then Husband and Father of two young Daughters, sacrificed his freedom in defence of his Family, his Faith, and his Country, at a time when the only possible reward for militant Loyalism was, either imprisonment or death.
Ken’s actions as an Ulster Volunteer in early 1973, resulted in an eight year prison sentence. Upon sentencing, Ken immediately proclaimed a totally defiant declaration of, ” NO SURRENDER”, ” UP THE RED HAND COMMANDO ” to the judge.
Throughout his entire incarceration, Ken Owens remained a totally defiant, ”
NO STATEMENTS”, “NO REGRETS”, ” NO SURRENDER”, Ulster Volunteer and Red Hand Commando.
To his eternal credit, Ken was never in any doubt as to how he had found himself in prison and was proud to proclaim personal responsibility, in relation to his military operations on behalf of democracy, he wore his imprisonment proudly as a badge of honour.
Ken Owens was never, ever, tempted to betray our forefathers, or their cause of “FOR GOD AND ULSTER” by converting to the popularity seeking, totally Godless, and morally corrupt, ideology of why me, poor me, sorry I ever heard of God, sorry I ever heard of Ulster, meaninglessly diluted Loyalism, which is being covertly used by fraudulent Loyalists, who are seeking to infiltrate and divide, sincere, authentic, Loyalism and Unionism, at this present moment in time.
Ken Owens was an old school, totally sincere, Northern Ireland Loyalist. Ken was totally loyal to his God, His Family, his Country and his old Comrades.
He was devoutly loyal to the authentically, original, founding principles of Northern Ireland Loyalism.
Ken Owens did not consider, ” FOR GOD AND ULSTER”, to be merely a regimental motto, neither did he consider it to be meaningless, boastful words on a badge.
Ken proudly made “FOR GOD AND ULSTER”, the unshakable foundation stones of his Family, his Faith, his Country and his Cause. He humbly relied upon the same unchanging God, in whom our forefathers in days of stress and trial confidently trusted, in the sure and certain confidence that God would defend the right, and God never, ever, let Ken Owens down.
LIVES THERE AN ULSTERMAN WITH SOUL SO DEAD, THAT NEVER TO HIMSELF HAS SAID.
THIS IS MY HOME, MY NATIVE LAND, MY ULSTER.
Charlie Freel.
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