The Argentine Air Force honoured last Friday nine officers who lost their lives during the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas South Atlantic conflict.
The ceremony took place in the Fifth Air Brigade in Villa Reynolds, in the north western province of San Luis where the Argentine Air Force currently has stationed a number of American built Douglas A-4AB Skyhawks fighter bombers. Most of the Brigade's aircrafts and pilots were ordered to the south of Argentina during the conflict.
The commemoration follows a resolution from the provincial Congress that declared the nine officers "Beloved sons of San Luis Province", and whose names will be the first in the recently created "Honours Book" of the province.
Defence Secretary Jose Pampuro, San Luis Governor Alberto Rodríguez Sáa, Joint Chief of Staff Brigadier Jorge Alberto Chevalier, Commander of the Air Force Brigadier Alberto Rohde plus other national and provincial officials were present at the commemoration that began with the unveiling of a mast dedicated to the A-4AB Skyhawks fighter bomber.
The nine officers honoured for their "outstanding heroism in the South Atlantic conflict" are: Captain Hugo Delvalle Palaver; First Lieutenants Danilo Bolzán, Fausto Gavazzi, Manuel Bustos and Luciano Guadagnini; Lieutenants Jorge Ibarlucea, Mario Nivoli and Juan Jose Arraras and Second Lieutenant Jorge Vázquez.
Finally a local student from Villa Reynolds and winner of an essay competition about the "fallen in the South Atlantic conflict" sponsored by the Fifth Air Brigade was awarded a symbolic prize.
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