By Bari Johnson,
Contributor
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS stumbled upon Jamaica on his second trip from Spain, in 1494. On his first trip in 1492, he thought he had reached India, so the area eventually became known as the West Indies. The people he met, the Tainos, the Caribs, and others, reinforced the idea that he reached India. Those people were soon killed off in the Spanish greed for gold, and harder people were needed to satisfy their greed.
Africans had been trafficking with the Americas, especially with South America. Brazil is only a few hundred miles away, so as early as the beginning of the 16th century (1510 or thereabouts) the Africans began to be used to supplant the indigenous Indians.
In 1655 when the English Penn and Venables turned their attention to Jamaica, after being repulsed in Santo Domingo, the Jamaicans as V. Reid was to call them in his book of the same name, felt that the island was theirs, especially after the Spaniards ran away.
They were to fight numerous battles for "their" country, and they were never subdued. Peace treaties were signed with Captain Cudjoe in the West, and Nanny in the East in 1739, only for an other eruption at the end of the century when the Trelawny Maroons were subdued, transported to Nova Scotia, and eventually dumped in Sierra Leone, where their energy eventually paid off.
In the battles against the Maroons, the English used other Africans against them, and these Africans became regular fighting men, called the Black Shots, and they were used in putting down the many insurrection against slavery. They went abroad as well, notably in the American war of independence against General Stonewall Jackson. They helped capture Sam Sharpe and Paul Bogle.
Revolutionise
They were now known as the West India Regiment. They did not go to the Crimea, but a Jamaican was there. Mary Seacole helped to revolutionise battle field nursing.
The West India Regiment was used by the British in empire building. They fought in the Gold Coast War, in a away against their own, as a lot of Jamaicans are of Ashanti descent. Members of the West India Regiment were among the first to win the newly-created Victoria Cross for bravery. One of them a Jamaican, Sergeant. William Gordon.
During World War I the force served as the British Occupation Force in West Africa, and in other parts of Africa and on the western front. Norman Manley lost his brother Roy on the western front, and went on to become one of the highest decorated heroes of that war, winning the prestigious Military Medal for bravery. Thousands of Jamaicans serve in that blooded war. Flanders Field became famous as the last resting place for servicemen who lost their lives in that blood war.
The Poppy grew wild on the graves of those buried there, so in 1923 when Earl Hai wanted a symbol for the dead soldiers, the poppy was chosen.
Millions of them are needed each year at the time of remembrance, so an industry grew up, and the disabled from the wars are employed. The Poppy remains the symbol for the needy ex-servicemen.
The Jamaica legion was formed in 1949, and it is responsible for the welfare of ex-service men in Jamaica. The legion maintains a home in Newport Manchester, where the needy and indigent ex-servicemen are taken care of. The legion also assists the hundreds of ex-servicemen and women throughout the island who are in need.
The Jamaica Defence Force provides the Poppy Appeal chairman for the Poppy Appeal. He is invariably the commanding office of the supply and maintenance department. The present chairman is Commander Christopher Annamuntodo. He faces a target this year of two and a half million dollars. Last year's target of two million was met, but it proved barely enough. We need the two and a half million. We need your help.
