Visit to Falkland Islands puts reality of war in sharp focus
Jamie’s Journal by Jamie Stone
There they were, row upon row of them. The graves of young Argentinian soldiers killed in the Falklands War in 1982.
Perfectly uniform, adorned with rosary beads… until I noticed one which stood out to me, with an engraving that read: “Soldado argentino solo conocido por Dios” – An Argentine soldier known only by God.
I found this very moving. One can only assume that the soldier’s body was so badly damaged that they had no way of identifying him when he was laid to rest.
Four politicians – of whom I was one – were invited by the Falklands government to visit the islands, to learn about life there. Of course, the war is a painfully significant event in their relationship with the UK government.
It was important for us to visit the graves of British soldiers who lost their lives during that war. Though I was glad we also visited the Argentinian war graves also. At the end of the day, a human life is always precious – its loss always tragic. Regardless of what flag they carried.
Before we departed for the Falklands, I took time to meet with several people who had served with the Scots Guards and witnessed the fighting on the ground. They told me how they had seen some of their comrades wounded and killed – images that would never be erased.
One in particular told me that he found it cathartic to sit and show me old photographs. Another told me that he had attended nine funerals of the fallen when he returned to the UK after the war. Just as I was moved by the simple Argentinian grave marker, so too I couldn’t help but be struck by the reality of what I was being told.
I could go further and tell you more about the Falkland Islands. I could tell you about the squid fishing and the sheep farming. I could describe their renowned upland goose pate, or the various perky species of penguins that greet you upon arrival. However, this would all seem trivial in light of the glaring face of war.
This is why I return to the graves of those soldiers, from Colonel H Jones VC, to the unknown Argentinian soldier. All lives cut brutally short amidst a territorial conflict.
That brings me to the third anniversary of a war much closer to home. I speak of course of the war in Ukraine. These are dark and turbulent times, with all of us scrambling to pre-empt what might happen next. Might peace be achieved? Will it be an honourable peace? Or will Ukraine become a vassal state subservient to Russia?
One can only hope that the last musing would only be the stuff of history, and not a future reality.
At the time of writing, all eyes are currently on the question of whether the United States and Europe will guarantee the independence of a future Ukraine. Call me naïve, but it must be a better thing that peace is now being talked about, at least.
I hate to think of the many graves that have already been dug – both in Russia and in Ukraine. You only have to see the horrific footage of Russian tanks exploding to realise that those inside stood no chance of survival, let alone any chance of identification. A deeply harrowing reality of war.
It is easy to read statistics of numbers fallen, just as we did some years ago whilst Iraq was being blown apart by US and UK air strikes – and forget about the individual behind the uniform. Time and time again we have lost good people in the name of greed. Whilst I walked through the graveyard, I couldn’t help but wonder: Is it all worth it?
It is fair to say that I returned from the Falkland Islands an older (I have that already!) person, and also a more thoughtful person. It’s funny how one particular image can strike you.
• Jamie Stone is the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.
