30 years ago today, the conflict was over.

[Vista]

 

The war lasted 74 days, with 255 British sailors, soldiers and airmen killed.

 

AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING.

 

"WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"

 

p20JyFa_N94

 

And something else to think about while we're remembering the dead

 

With Regret!

 

Whitney Houston's death, while a sad thing, was the direct result of very unwise life choices.

 

It dominated the news.

 

Charlie Sheen is 45 and his story is all over the news because he is a Substance abuser, an adulterer, sexually promiscuous and obnoxious.

 

Lindsay Lohan is 24 and her story is all over the news because she is a Celebrity drug addict and thief.

 

Amy Winehouse’s story was all over the papers and shoved down our throats as she was a singer and ‘celebrity’ and a substance abuser.

 

Something as frivolous as Kim Kardashian's stupid wedding [and short-lived marriage] was shoved down our throats.

 

While the following:

 

Justin Allen 23

Brett Linley 29

Matthew Weikert 29

Justus Bartett 27

Dave Santos 21

Jesse Reed 26

Matthew Johnson 21

Zachary Fisher 24

Brandon King 23

Christopher Goeke 23

And Sheldon Tate 27...

 

are all British Royal Marines who recently gave their lives for us. There is no media for them; not even a mention of their names.

 

Who should we remember?

[lotusless]

Very true scott this war is rarely mentioned these days another terrible waste of young lives. The world we live in is "celebrity" mad and a pic of fat arse kardashian in a bikini makes the headlines.

It just seems a wasted life of these poor men that like you say the whole country is more bothered about self inflicted "celebrity" deaths. But there are a few of us still left who do think + respect others that have given their lives. But what about the future generations ? Will they still remember ? i doubt it.

 

R.I.P to all that died

[SmokeEm]

Here on Aldershot Scott, they are having a Falklands parade and 'fly by' this weekend in which most of our town gets closed off to allow the march etc. Apparantly the vulcan bomber is part of the fly by

 

http://paracharity.org/falklands30/

[stuartp]

erm, soldiers get paid to put themselves in situations where they might get killed - it's an intrinsic part of their job

 

 

celebrities aren't

 

 

soldiers successfully defended a part of our little empire and kept our fellow subjects safe (and they still are 30 years later)

 

 

celebrities didn't

 

 

the soldiers deaths were not in vain, they did what they had to do and they are certainly not forgotten

 

 

celebrities don't really have anything to do with it

[SmokeEm]

I think you're missing the point

[stuartp]

I think you're missing the point

 

what is the point?

[SmokeEm]

Think I'll let Scott answer that one - he's more diplomatic than me

[stuartp]

btw fully agree with sentiment just not sure how useful it is to compare professional military people with famous (for whatever meagre reason) people

[SmokeEm]

Don't think Scott was 'comparing' as such. Merely showing how fickle this world is that such triviality makes the headlines if it's someone famous but those that really deserve our attention go largely un-noticed. As for your statement that the servicemen get paid to put themselves in the face of death is just so untrue - I earn more than the average soldier and the most dangerous thing I face is a paper cut. The world is all wrong somehow

[Vista]

I think you're missing the point

 

what is the point?

 

The point is the quantity of media coverage awarded to self obsessed "celebrities" who died by their own hands, while young men and women who give their lives selflessly in the pursuit of their profession are given no mention or media remembrance what so ever.

 

It's a sad reflection of our society today that these "celebrities" are given more respect and greater outpouring of public grief than our service personnel who fall on the battlefield in defence of our nations international policy.

[SmokeEm]

^^^^^^^^ What I meant stuart but couldn't put as well as Scott

[Vista]

^^^^^^^^ What I meant stuart but couldn't put as well as Scott

 

I think you put it well enough.

 

And Stuart. Yes the military is a choice, dying on the battlefield in pursuit of a politicians international policy is not, especially when so many deaths could have been prevented if the soldiers, sailors or airmen in question had been properly equipped. Do you know that many soldiers going in to combat opt to supplement their equipment by buying extra things themselves? Better boots for instance. How long would a factory stay open before Health and Safety shut it down if it wasn't supplying its staff the right hi-viz vests, ear defenders PPE etc?

[stuartp]

pretty sure it was ever thus

 

 

not saying it's right mind

[Mk2Jo]

I remember seeing it on the tv and it doesn't seem that long ago .... although looking at the footage and clips they are showing on various local news programmes, it looks really dated and a long time ago

.

My brother was supposed to be going on a school trip on one of the ships (it was a cruise ship) and it got comandeered (spelling?) to go to the Faulklands ... don't remember the name of it but it was all quite dramatic at the time.

.

I suppose my lasting memory will be Simon Weston ...he is what sums it up for me I think .... I was 15 at the time and, to be honest, it was just news and I wasn't looking at the human aspect of it

[SmokeEm]

.

My brother was supposed to be going on a school trip on one of the ships (it was a cruise ship) and it got comandeered (spelling?) to go to the Faulklands ... don't remember the name of it but it was all quite dramatic at the time.

 

Sounds like SS Canberra

[Skimmer]

The school ship i went on that got commandeered (sp) was the SS Uganda it was turned into a hospital ship .......i actually did get to go on the cruise before it was taken

 

My brother was supposed to be going on a school trip on one of the ships (it was a cruise ship) and it got comandeered (spelling?) to go to the Faulklands ... don't remember the name of it but it was all quite dramatic at the time.

 

[Vista]

There were a lot of merchant ships press ganged into Service, the most famous of which was the QE2 (troop carrier) but also SS Uganda (hospital ship) and SS Canberra (Troop carrier) as well as multiple freighters, cargo ships and RoRo ferries

 

Full list here

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_naval_forces_in_the_Falklands_War#Ships_taken_up_from_trade

 

Canberra in San Carlos water (Bomb alley) in 1982

 

 

[mk1estate]

RIP all those who died in the conflict and all those who have suffered from combat stress since. A little known fact is that have been more deaths from suicide since the war than who died in the conflict, but if you speak to anyone who has suffered if they thought it was worth it most would say it was.

[XjamesX]

What is all this about argentina wanting it back, every so often I hear it mention in the news or something but not too much about it?

[Vista]

What is all this about argentina wanting it back, every so often I hear it mention in the news or something but not too much about it?

 

They can't have it back as it's never been theirs in the first place. They claim that as it's on their continental shelf, they should have sovereignty over it and it should be handed over to them to rule.

 

My take on that position? The Argentines are in fact descended from Spanish conquistadors who settled there in the 16th century and displaced the indigenous population, i.e. the native South American Indians. The Falklands were uninhabited until settled by the British. They were first landed on by the Royal Navy in 1690, long before Argentina existed as a country.

 

So, with that history, who should give which country back to who?

[D-FENS]

I was 20 when the Falklands war started and knew a few soldiers/sailors/airmen who went over there,luckily they all came back .It realy did raise a patriotic feeling at the time but was it all worth it ? Nowadays people bang on about the possible oilfields that surround the islands but other than that why are we spending a large sum of money defending territory that is thousands of miles away from our country .My brother in law is in the RAF and he was posted to the Falklands about 3 years ago and he said it was just like a holiday camp there and he was one of approximately 1500 troops based there.Its a political hot potatoe .

[mk2harrier]

my uncle was over there during the conflict,he was given a medal and an award for shooting down a mirage jet, he had also been shot at the time, he would still say 'yes it was worth it'.

 

i have a great deal of respect for our armed forces they are put in most situations that most civilians would point blank refuse to do on 2 to 3 times the pay.

[Vista]

I was 20 when the Falklands war started and knew a few soldiers/sailors/airmen who went over there,luckily they all came back .It realy did raise a patriotic feeling at the time but was it all worth it ? Nowadays people bang on about the possible oilfields that surround the islands but other than that why are we spending a large sum of money defending territory that is thousands of miles away from our country .My brother in law is in the RAF and he was posted to the Falklands about 3 years ago and he said it was just like a holiday camp there and he was one of approximately 1500 troops based there.Its a political hot potatoe .

 

We do it because they're British citizens. The same way we would if someone decided to invade the Isle of Wight, Gibraltar, the Channel Islands or the Shetlands. Just because they're further away doesn't mean we should forget them.

 

Was it worth it? Also a yes from me.

[Ale06]

I want to give my humble opinion.

Malvinas island had Argentine population from 1824 until 1833 when British forces expelled.

You can´t stole a piece of land of other country, expell the population and put British people there and then ask: Do you want to do British?

MMMM....

By the way, Argentina would respect people who live in Malvinas, and their houses and bussiness. I agree with it, but land must be under Argentine sovereignty.

By the way, I have some English friends and always they are very polite.

I adore British culture too, your houses, cars and of course your wonderful nation.

I consider Argentine and british population need to understand we can be good friends because we share a lot of common things.

This situation isn´t understood by British politician who only want colonies around the world as past centuries.

Guys, I hope don´t offend to anybody. If I did it, I´m sorry.

Reality has two faces, and we need to know both.

All my respects from Argentina!!

[Vista]

I saw you join and wondered how long it would be before you found this thread.

 

Respectfully, you need to check your history. Mine states that after years of conflict over independence from Spain and civil wars, Argentina was first recognised as unified country (rather than a collection of independent / locally governed Spanish provinces) and had its president sworn in in 1862. Even then the first president continued internal conflict with independent provinces. How therefore can Argentina claim sovereignty over some islands that are 300 miles from its shores when it didn't exist as a country at the time that Argentina's original sovereignty is claimed?

 

The Islands were first landed on and claimed for Britain in 1690 by Captain John Strong of the Royal Navy. The first known settlers were actually French (1764). The British established a settlement in 1766 and Spain acquired the French settlement in 1767. By 1811 both settlements had been withdrawn with both Britain and Spain leaving behind plaques claiming sovereignty, In 1828 Luis Vernet (who was actually German) established a settlement with the permission of the British government and the republic of Buenos Aires. This settlement continued until 1833 when the leaders were murdered. In November 1832, Argentina sent Commander Mestivier as an interim commander to found a penal settlement, but he was killed in a mutiny after four days. The following January, British forces returned and requested the Argentine garrison leave. Don Pinedo, captain of the ARA Sarandi and senior officer present, protested but ultimately complied. From 1834 the islands were governed as a British naval station until 1840 when the British Government decided to establish a permanent colony. The population living there now are resolutely British and have no wish to be anything else. Ironically if Galtieri hadn't invaded and caused all that loss of life in a short but bloody war in 1982, the islands might have already been ceded to Argentine rule. Now? I can't see it ever happening.

 

Now, as in 1982 under Galtieri, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's attempts to whip up nationalist support for more conflict over the Falkland Islands are seen by most in Britain as a thinly disguised attempt to divert the Argentine peoples attention away from more important domestic issues.