Posted on 04/26/2003 9:25:02 AM PDT by knighthawk
The 31 British soldiers killed in Iraq are to be honoured by their comrades at a special service in the Gulf.
Hundreds of troops are expected to attend the memorial service at a British military base near Basra on Sunday.
It will be the first time soldiers still serving in Iraq will have gathered to pay tribute to those killed in the war.
The service was the idea of Staff Sergeant John Landy, who was moved when he read about the wife of a Royal Marine who gave birth to their second child 12 days after her husband was killed in the Gulf.
Captain Philip Guy, 29, from Skipton, North Yorkshire, was among eight Royal Marines killed when a US Sea Knight helicopter crashed over the Kuwaiti desert on March 21.
He was one of the first British soldiers to die in the war on Iraq and his name will be on the roll of honour read out by Staff Sgt Landy during tomorrow's service.
Staff Sgt Landy said: "I was reading an article about a comrade who had died and who had never got to see his new-born child.
"My wife has given birth since I've been here, so it struck a chord with me.
"I thought that it could easily have been my wife in the same position, and that something should be done to help the families of the comrades who have died out here."
Staff Sgt Landy, 34, from Blackburn, said he hit on the idea of a memorial service after hearing about a British national newspaper offering to match any funds raised for the Army Benevolent Fund, which raises money for the families of servicemen and women. He suggested arranging the service, with the collection being donated to the Fund, to his commanding officer, and the service has since been organised.
France can bring up the rear as the shovel brigade behind the horses. We'll put horses in the parade just for that occasion. We can borrow them from the local police force.
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