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| Wednesday, 6 November, 2002, 13:44 GMT Veterans return for island memorial ![]() BBC Wales Correspondent Gail Foley sets off with 200 Falklands' veterans on an emotional trip for a service to mark Remembrance Day there. Two hundred veterans of the Falklands War, a tenth of them from Wales, have left the UK to travel to the islands for a memorial service to mark Remembrance Day For many, it will be a deeply emotional visit - the first time they have seen the windswept and lonely islands since they fought the Argentinians there twenty years ago.
A team of BBC correspondents, using the latest internet technology, will be reporting on their pilgrimage day-by-day. The former Prime Minister Margaret, now Baroness Thatcher, who went to war in 1982, was at Gatwick to see the party off early on Wednesday. More than 250 British soldiers lost their lives in the campaign. Among the Welsh veterans is Denzil Connick, secretary of the South Atlantic Medal Association who lives at Pontllanfraith, near Blackwood, south Wales. The former paratrooper, had his leg blown off by an Argentinian shell on Mount Longdon, during the battle for the Falklands. Twenty years on, he says for many of the men and women who will be going down to the islands with him, this visit should bring about some peace of mind. Almost all of them have suffered post traumatic stress disorder since the battle, and many, like him, have to live with the physical injuries they suffered during the war. Battle sites However, that hasn't stopped Denzil from leading an active life. He rides a tri-bike, a motorbike with three wheels to help his stability, and enjoys fishing with his two teenage sons. Islanders have raised �30,000 towards the cost of the trip, with the veterans paying around �500 each. The veterans will be staying at the homes of islanders. Many have offered transport to take them to the battle sites. The island's economy is booming at the moment, with 30,000 tourists visiting to see not just the war sites, but the fantastic wildlife there.
Prince Andrew, himself a veteran of the war, will be visiting the islands from Thursday, and will play a leading role in the memorial ceremonies. Veterans will plant trees with island children in memory of those who died, and will take part in a service at Stanley Cathedral on Sunday. The BBC correspondents will be using satellite telephones to send back radio material, and a new technology, Telestream, to email pictures back to London. It's an honour to be asked to accompany the veterans to the islands. We are hoping this technology will work well but to be honest, it is something of an experiment for us. However, if it does work, it has tremendous implications for the way we cover not just world events, but our ability to get pictures back to Cardiff from rural areas, for instance. Fingers crossed! During their visit, some of the Falklands' veterans will take part in a question-and-answer session with BBC News Online. If you have a question you would like to put to them, send it in using the form below. Disclaimer: The BBC will put up as many of your comments as possible but we cannot guarantee that all e-mails will be published. The BBC reserves the right to edit comments that are published. |
See also: 06 Nov 02 | England 31 Oct 02 | UK 17 Jun 02 | Wales 16 Jun 02 | UK 04 Mar 02 | Wales Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Wales stories now: Links to more Wales stories are at the foot of the page. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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