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bae
4-3-12, 2:09pm
A friend of mine had been sitting out a several day blizzard on South Georgia Island.

In the morning, as the blizzard lifted, he and his mates marched out into the mist, to defend the island against the Argentinian invasion.

His small group of 22 men fiercely resisted the vastly superior force of the invaders through the afternoon, then surrendered as they had been ordered to. They managed to shoot down a helicopter, and nearly sunk a capital ship with small-arms fire from the shore, forcing the Argentinian vessel to withdraw for repairs, which I think was a first in the history of warfare.

Here's a shot of his squad right before the battle:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pYr6BTAU2as/T3s3HsvxIvI/AAAAAAAAE18/eUoKNLY5-EA/s634/south%2520georgia.jpg

I can't believe it was 30 years ago.
Gregg
4-3-12, 2:59pm
Hard to believe 30 years has passed. I didn't know anyone involved in the conflict, but remember how strange it all seemed at the time. Too bad the next war in the Falklands will likely be another resource war (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-02/cameron-says-u-k-committed-to-falklands-30-years-after-invasion.html)rather than a fight for self-determination.
IshbelRobertson
4-4-12, 5:22am
I had a close family member on the UK's forward command ship during the Falklands War.

'Lest we forget'.
Anne Lee
4-4-12, 3:23pm
I was in Bolivia during the Malvinas crisis. I got picked up by immigration two or three times.
IshbelRobertson
4-4-12, 5:17pm
In the UK and on the islands, we use our name, ie The Falkland Islands!
bae
12-4-14, 8:35pm
My friend Anthony passed away today, at the far too young age of 54. See you some day in Valhalla, where we shall feast on Sćhrímnir and mead every night.

Until then.
iris lilies
12-4-14, 9:18pm
I'm sorry to hear that, he is way too young.
JaneV2.0
12-4-14, 9:28pm
That's a stunning photograph; I agree--way too young. I'm sorry.
Gardenarian
12-4-14, 9:36pm
I missed this the first time around. What a tale.
I'm so sorry that you have lost your friend.
IshbelRobertson
12-5-14, 3:35am
My condolences.
Sadly, so many Falklands veterans have gone at a young age.
Packy
12-6-14, 6:17am
The Falkland Islands(waaaay out in the middle o' nowhere) dispute came to a head in 1982, when Those English retook the islands, and kicked the Argentines off. Mainly, just for the principle of it--to show everybody they weren't wussy. The Argentines left behind a memento--that being a large number of land mines. That kind of pre-empts my plan to move there, and become a shepherd.
bae
12-6-14, 11:46am
My friend was treated with such politeness, friendliness, and respect by his captors that he moved to South America after he retired from the military, where he lived happily for the rest of his all-too-short life. He preferred the sunny beaches of Brazil and the stunning mountains of Peru to his "cold foggy homeland".
martha
12-14-14, 1:41am
bae, I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. It's good to know that he found a place where he enjoyed living to the fullest.
LDAHL
12-16-14, 11:33am
My friend Anthony passed away today, at the far too young age of 54. See you some day in Valhalla, where we shall feast on Sćhrímnir and mead every night.

Until then.

Don't you have to die in battle to gain admittance?