- Title: ARGENTINA: Veterans of Falkland Islands War march on National Flag Day
- Date: 20th June 2013
- Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JUNE 20, 2013) (REUTERS) METROPOLITAN POLICE MUSIC BAND HEADING MARCH VARIOUS OF ARGENTINE VETERANS MARCHING AND PEOPLE LINING STREETS CLAPPING PARADE REACHING SAN MARTIN PLAZA WHERE A MONUMENT TO THE FALLEN IS FOUND MILITARY CHAPLAIN VICENTE MARTINEZ TORRENS SHOWING STOLE HE USED IN THE FALKLANDS WAR AND PREPARING TO READ MESSAGE FROM POPE FRANCIS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MILITARY CHAPLAIN VICENTE MARTINEZ TORRENS, READING A MESSAGE FROM POPE FRANCIS: "In my heart, I have always carried an appreciation and recognition to the war veterans, who in those tough moments were called upon to serve the fatherland and defend its rights. I feel it's an obligation to carry them in my heart, together with those who fell and are no longer here. Have the certainty I pray for all of them and wish them the best." VETERANS APPLAUDING AFTER HEARING MESSAGE FROM POPE FRANCIS VARIOUS OF VETERANS AND RELATIVES PLACING WHITE CARNATIONS BELOW MONUMENT TO THE FALLEN WAR VETERAN CARLOS PINOLA STANDING IN FRONT OF MONUMENT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) WAR VETERAN, CARLOS PINOLA, SAYING: "Little by little, we have started to talk about the Falklands in schools. We have started having more support because there was a great campaign to stop talking about the Falklands and now that we (veterans) are all hitting 50 and over 50, we want the children, the young people to know that we were not fighting for a military government, we were fighting to defend the national territory." RELATIVES OF VETERANS HUGGING AND CRYING VETERANS AND RELATIVES ENJOYING MUSIC SHOW
- Embargoed: 5th July 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Argentina
- Country: Argentina
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVADQRHM03LVKYO304H9FZQLJYF6
- Story Text: Argentine veterans of the Falkland Islands war marched in the capital city of Buenos Aires on Thursday (June 20) to commemorate the conflict on National Flag Day.
In 1982, for 74 days, Argentina and Britain fought over the South Atlantic archipelago 300 miles from the South American mainland after an Argentine invasion. Many Argentines see the invasion as a last ditch effort to stir up nationalism by a corrupt and dying military dictatorship.
This group of veterans reached San Martin plaza where a monument to the fallen in the conflict -- in which 649 Argentines were killed -- is located.
Military Chaplain Vicente Martinez Torrens read a message from Pope Francis to the veterans gathered there.
"In my heart, I have always carried an appreciation and recognition to the war veterans, who in those tough moments were called upon to serve the fatherland and defend its rights. I feel it's an obligation to carry them in my heart, together with those who fell and are no longer here. Have the certainty I pray for all of them and wish them the best," he read.
After the speech, veterans and relatives of the victims then placed white carnations below the monument.
Veteran Carlos Pinola said the war left wounds that Argentines are still working through.
"Little by little, we have started to talk about the Falklands in schools. We have started having more support because there was a great campaign to stop talking about the Falklands and now that we (veterans) are all hitting 50 and over 50, we want the children, the young people to know that we were not fighting for a military government, we were fighting to defend the national territory."
In March, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez asked Argentine-born Pope Francis to intervene in support of Buenos Aires in the dispute.
Fernandez, who has led Argentina for six years, has mounted an increasingly vocal campaign to renegotiate the sovereignty of the archipelago, which Britain has resisted, causing a series of diplomatic rows.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has said the people of the islands made their view clear in a March referendum, in which they overwhelmingly voted in favour of remaining British.
Argentina is 300 miles to the west of the islands, which it has claimed for almost 200 years. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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