MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
25th Anniversary of the Falklands Conflict
The 25th anniversary of the Falklands Campaign will be commemorated across 8,000 miles and four time zones, in London, Pangbourne and the Falkland Islands from 14 to 17 June 2007, Veterans' Minister Derek Twigg announced today.
Speaking at the launch of the commemorations on HMS Illustrious, Mr Twigg said:
"The Falklands campaign was one of the most memorable events in post-war British history. The liberation of the Islands was a huge achievement by our Forces, operating in harsh conditions 8,000 miles away from home. "The commemorations nexy year will provide us with an opportunity to reflect on the events of 25 years ago. We will take time to remember those who gave their lives to defend the freedom of the Falkland Islands. "As well as the principal events in London, Pangbourne and Stanley, we anticipate that local communities and veterans groups around the country will organize smaller scale events."
The Falklands story is not just an historic one. Over the past 25 years a great many of our current generation of Service men and women have seen Service in the Falklands and have been moved by the memorials to the fallen they maintain around the Islands; the Armed Forces connection with the Falklands is therefore personal and current.
Commemorations will look too at what the Islanders themselves have achieved in the 25 years since the conflict, building a robust and thriving community worthy of the sacrifices made.
Official events begin on Liberation Day Thursday 14 June at the Falkland Islands Memorial Chapel in the grounds of Pangbourne ?nautical' College, Berkshire. This service of Commemoration and Remembrance is held annually on behalf of the Falklands Families Association, but will have special significance in 2007 when it will be attended by senior members of the Royal family, and carried live on BBC.
Later that day (UK time) attention will turn to the Falkland Islands and the first of a series of ambitious live link ups with the Islands. A service at Christchurch Cathedral, Stanley will be followed by an Act of Commemoration at the Falklands War Memorial, and British Forces currently based on the Islands will parade through Stanley exercising the Freedom of the City that was bestowed on them by the Falkland Islands Government in 2002.
The showpiece event of these commemorations will be on Sunday 17 June. This will consist of a high impact visual event on Horse Guards Parade followed by a march past of veterans and their modern day service counterparts up The Mall to Buckingham Palace to witness a fly past of aircraft from the Falklands era as well as some of those flown by the same squadrons today. Central to the event will be the personal recollections of veterans and Islanders as they tell their stories in their own words. (RN)
Picture courtesy Mr. Peter PepperDerek Cole of Falkland Veterans Foundation and Cap. Martin Reed Head of SAMA 82 during the media launch onboard of HMS Illustrious.
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