RAF Veteran from Carmarthenshire invited for Cenotaph remembrance march
David James from Ammanford will be 1 of 10,000 taking part in the Remembrance Sunday March in London.
An RAF veteran from Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, is one of 44 veterans, carers, and staff from Help for Heroes, who will pay tribute to fallen comrades and family members who served, by joining the Cenotaph march-past on Remembrance Sunday (10 November), in London.
The veterans, along with members of staff who have also served, will form part of the Help for Heroes’ delegation attending the annual parade, which sees 10,000 members of the veteran community marching in an act of remembrance along Whitehall.
David James, 58, says he's always had a strong family connection to the armed forces.
Both grandfathers, a great-uncle and uncle served in WWII.
He served for five years after joining the RAF in 1985, as an armourer.
He was stationed in Germany from 1987, and unfortunately had an accident two years later, which led to chronic back pain.
In addition, he suffered from PTSD following the 1987 car bomb attack at the Rheindahlen military barracks, in West Germany, which injured 31 people.
As a result of his back injury and his mental health issues, he left the RAF in March 1990.
He said: “I will feel proud taking part in this act or remembrance service, but I’ll also feel pretty raw when I think about lost friends and colleagues."
"I’ll also be reflecting on the experiences of my family."
“My maternal grandfather, Charlie was an army medic in the Second World War; my paternal grandfather, Sidney was a Desert Rat; Sidney’s brother, Jim served on a minesweeper and died off the coast of Thailand when they were struck by a kamikaze pilot, in June 1945; and my uncle Kenny joined up in the 50s and served with the Paras and SAS in Malaysia and sadly died in 1963 while still serving.”
A spokesman for Help for Heroes added: “As we join the nation to commemorate the men and women who lost their lives while serving our country, Help for Heroes also remembers those still fighting their own battles today.
“We remain at the side of veterans, like David, and their families who are struggling with painful injuries, mental trauma, isolation, and more – providing life-changing support for as long as it takes – fighting for the peace they deserve.”