The Argentineans took over the Falklands in 1982 and overpowered the few English soldiers that were there at the time. As the Falklands were in English territory, a state of war was declared and there was stiff competition between soldiers wanting to go over and fight.

The Welsh Guard were selected and they all thought they were going on an adventure and it would all be over by the time they sailed to Ascension Island, a place to refuel and add provisions.

The military operation was a total botch up from beginning to end. All of the soldiers stationed on the west of the island, at Goose Green, were told to rendezvous at the south of the island. At first they decided to hike overland, but during the operation they were ordered to go back as the procedure would take too long. After 72 hours in the wet and cold they were transported by boat on the Sir Galahad, to get to their destination. When they got there, the boats that would transport them to land were not there and were helping out elsewhere. Therefore the soldiers were marooned on a ship in broad daylight among machinery laden with fuel. When the Argentineans bombed the Sir Galahad, 50 soldiers were killed and many more were permanently burned.

After the war was won, the programme showed how the soldiers suffered from guilt that they were still alive while their close friends had been killed. Some soldiers kept replaying the traumatic events in their minds, not just in nightmares but also during the day while they were awake. All the soldiers suffered symptoms of Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder and were seriously handicapping their lives in the years to come.

Families too had to deal with the emotional pain of loved ones not returning from war. Babies, while growing up, no longer having a dad around to support them. Mums and dads suffering from the death of their precious son.

Years later, soldiers, or families of soldiers, went back to the Falklands to reflect on events. A mother emptied her son’s ashes into the sea and was able to find some closure from this process.

Now that the truth is out about the Falklands I hope lessons can be learnt from this tragedy. Why didn’t anyone in charge have the courage to hold up their hands and say mistakes were made until now?