Continuing on with yesterday’s theme:
There is probably no other country that, like Switzerland, gives the soldier his weapon to keep in the home. The Swiss always has his rifle at hand. It belongs to the furnishings of his home. That corresponds to the ancient Swiss tradition; the Swiss soldier lives in constant companionship with his rifle. He knows what that means. With his rifle, he is liable every hour, if the country calls, to defend his hearth, his home, his family, his birthplace. The weapon is to him a pledge and a sign of honor and freedom. The Swiss does not part with his rifle.
President Phillipp Etter at a June 1939 shooting festival
If only we could do the same here.
I would point out this recent Strategy Page article, detailing the decline of the Swiss Army. What a brave new world we live in…
http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/200712923710.asp
There is a story, possibly apocryphal, that I heard long ago. Just before WWII started, a German diplomat asked a Swiss diplomat, “What would Switzerland do if Germany invaded?” The Swiss diplomat replied, “We would each fire one shot and go home.” Germany didn’t invade Switzerland.