Proud legacy of slain army hero recalled

[WorldFun]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/35979/proud-legacy-of-slain-army-hero-recalled

 

"I'm not the kind of boss who stays behind his subordinates when fighting," Romklao Thuwatham, deputy chief of staff at the 2nd Infantry Division, used to say.

Such bravery was one of the qualities which marked out Col Romklao to his colleagues and friends.

 

Now, however, we can only ponder his legacy.

 

Col Romklao - a veteran of military skirmishes along the Cambodia-Thai border, and leader of the army crackdown against red shirts in Din Daeng in Bangkok a year ago - died at 3am yesterday.

 

He was killed from head injuries sustained in a bomb blast at the Khok Wua intersection, the scene of pitched battles on Saturday evening between the red shirts and security forces.

 

He is among four soldiers killed in the violence, which took 21 lives in all.

 

I spoke to Col Romklao just hours before the bomb which was to take his life went off.

 

"Today is tough. You'd better not come in. Stay where you are and take care of yourself," Col Romklao told me about 7.05pm on Saturday.

 

Those were the last words I would hear him speak.

 

Col Romklao - "Pee Pao" to many who knew him - was discussing with fellow senior officers whether to withdraw troops from the intersection when a bomb went off close to nearby Satriwithaya School.

 

He was knocked to the ground by the impact of the blast.

 

Several hours later, doctors at Phramongkutklao Hospital attempted to operate on Col Romklao to save his life. But his head wounds were too severe.

 

News that Col Romklao had been injured arrived mid-evening.

 

"I have bad news. Pee Pao has been hit by a bomb," Lt Col Wirat Khamwilai, commander of the 3rd Battalion under the 9th Infantry Division, told me at 9.43pm.

 

"I don't know whether he is at Siriraj Hospital or Phramongkutklao Hospital. Find out and let me know, will you?"

 

For several hours, ambulances pulled into Phramongkutklao Hospital to disgorge soldiers and civilians wounded in the clashes.

 

Stretchers were called into service as extra beds to accommodate the growing number of injured.

 

For Col Romklao, medical help arrived slowly.

 

Ambulance staff found it hard to reach the intersection, as roads leading to the spot were blocked by red shirts.

 

At 11.15pm, the ambulance carrying Col Romklao finally pulled into the hospital as a medical team waited with a gurney.

 

As the doors of the ambulance opened, I watched as a male nurse was bending over the colonel's body, pumping at his chest.

 

He shouted at medical staff to clear the way to the elevator.

 

Col Romklao was wearing only his underwear, and both his legs were bandaged.

 

Blood covered his head, although I could still make out his features.

 

Col Romklao was a familiar figure for many reporters covering conflicts along the Cambodian-Thai border areas of Sa Kaeo and Prachin Buri.

 

He played a key role in cracking down on car thefts which were widespread in the area, handled border disputes with Cambodia and opposed gambling dens which opened on the other side of the frontier.

 

Last year, shortly after returning from a year-long mission to command a special task force in violence-plagued Narathiwat's Sukhirin district, he was put in charge of handling the street riots in the Din Daeng area.

 

"Those troops who contained the red shirt protesters in Din Daeng on April 7 were my men," he said proudly at the time.

 

"No soldiers were killed or hurt.

 

"Decisiveness is always the key to success."

 

At 3am yesterday, doctors lost their battle to save his life - and the army lost one of its rising stars."

[Flashermac]

He doesn't count, since he wasn't wearing red.

 

 

 

[WorldFun]

he did sound like a total standup guy who will be dearly missed by family & the forces. May he reemerge even stronger next time around (that's how the Buddhist say ain't it?)

[Flashermac]

I remember seeing his name in the news before, about the far south, I think. Never heard a bad word about him.

 

 

[BelgianBoy]

he did sound like a total standup guy who will be dearly missed by family & the forces. May he reemerge even stronger next time around (that's how the Buddhist say ain't it?)

amen to that.

[WorldFun]

flasher,

 

acc. article above he was at a 1 year stint down narithiwas way until he was suddenly hailed up to clear last years songkran mess at din-daeng.

unfortunately that may have been the beginning to the end as some intelligence today (from ISOC) suggests this Col. was particularly targeted for the grenade attach as revenge

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/ISOC-spokesman-says-military-officer-identified-Ro-30127130.html