The Falklands 25 Years On
I was 10 years old, and remember my father telling me he had to go away. After the war I learnt that he went to the war and fought at Goose Green – he has the mental scars to prove it. My Uncle also fought, but he was killed in a chopper crash I think. Looking back, I realise how bloody that war was. God bless all the soldiers who died – British and Argentinian.
Chris Morton
On the 20th June 1982 the Falklands War was formally declared as over. The Argentinian defeat led to large protests against General Galtieri’s government and he was forced to resign on June 17, with democratic rule returning to Argentina the following year.
Stanley during the War and today
In 1990, full diplomatic relations were restored between Argentina and Britain showing how relationships between the two countries have moved towards the first stages of reconciliation and in 2001 Tony Blair became the first British Prime Minister to visit Argentina since the conflict.
In 2006, HMS Endurance became the first Royal Navy ship to visit Ushuaia in the Tierra del Fuego region of Argentina since January 1982. Rather movingly, Argentine veterans of the South Atlantic Campaign invited the Ship’s Company to participate in a joint commemoration of those who fell on both sides in 1982; a moving event which attracted much publicity and culminated, during a particularly poignant moment, with an Argentine veteran giving his medal to one of Endurance’s veterans.
Memorial to the fallen on Pebble Island
Today, there are many reminders of 1982 around the Falkland Islands. The landscape is peppered with remnants of the conflict – from minefields and cemeteries to crashed military planes that lie where they fell.
Sadly, for some who fought through the war, the battle continues today with wounds that are not so visible as many members of the Task Force sustained physical disabilities and long-term trauma as a result of the close combat fighting in the Falklands.
As members of the Armed Forces, most of us accept that if someone has peace but not justice or freedom then perhaps the peace they have is not really worth very much, it is incomplete. Sometimes, in order to re-establish justice or freedom, peace may have to be sacrificed for a short time. We do not live in a perfect world.
Memorial to the 1982 conflict on the Falkland Islands
The forthcoming 25th Anniversary commemorations of the Falklands War will allow us to remember the sacrifice of those who gave their lives voluntarily and those who had it conscripted from them. We remember their acts of bravery and courage as they overcame their natural fear when engaging in battle. We also remember their selfless commitment, devotion to duty, and the laying down of lives for friends, family and people they did not know.
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The Falklands Conflict Remembered
Quick Facts
The Falklands Conflict Remembered
Introduction
Invasion of the Islands
The Falklands 25 Years On <<
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