Falklands War: The emotional story of the found trumpet that sounded on the islands 37 years later

In a new humanitarian journey marked by emotion, a group of parents of fallen soldiers in the Falklands War, recently identified, yesterday visited the Darwin Cemetery and was part of a moving ceremony during of which they were paid tribute, almost 37 years after the end of the war.

"Mission accomplished: the state has paid tribute to the Malvinas heroes and their families, and apologizes for the many years of neglect and neglect," said Human Rights Secretary Claudio Avruj at his back to Ezeiza.

"In memory of all the Argentinians, those who died to the Malvinas are alive, these trips are a relief for the soul of each of you," said Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie, during his welcome to the delegation.

From the Commission of the families of the deceased in the Falklands, felt that all day, lived in full sun on the islands, "was a caress for the soul" and asked that these trips continue and include the families of the dead people. in the cruise General Belgrano.

The group consisted of about 60 family members. the majority of them, elderly people from different parts of the country, have received positive notifications of identification of the remains of their loved ones over the past year.

Avruj also traveled with the parents; the head of the Family Commission, María Fernanda Araujo; and two veterans friends and promoters of the identifications: the Englishman Geoffrey Cardoso, who designed the Darwin Cemetery and buried the Argentine soldiers in 1982, and the Argentine Julio Aro, holder of the "No Me Olvides" foundation ", among other veterans.

Thanks to a humanitarian agreement between Argentina and the United Kingdom and to the participation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, a total of 112 families of people killed during the war have received positive confirmation of the DNA test which has allowed to identify the remains of the fallen, buried for nearly 37 years in graves bearing the plate "Argentine soldier only known to God".

When they arrived at the cemetery, each family member – some silent, others in tears – ran to find and kiss the cross of the grave of their beloved, now wearing a black plaque bearing their name and their first name. Chairs were installed in front of each grave for the elderly.

At about 11 o'clock, and at a temperature of about 10 degrees, the religious ceremony began under the orders of the Argentine priest Ponciano Acosta, cousin of one of the dead at Malvinas, and two priests of the islands, one Catholic and the other anglican.

The silent key

During one of the most moving moments of the trip, the presentation of the military honors was expanded: a bagpipe player from the Scottish Guard played a funeral march and the Argentine veteran Omar Tabárez interpreted the "Touch of "with the same trumpet that he used during the days of conflict to accompany different times of the war and that he was sent back in 2010 by the English soldier who took him prisoner.

The Parents' Commission has taken two offerings of synthetic flowers – organic matter that can not be brought into the islands; one was at Darwin and the other was destined for the San Carlos cemetery, where the British soldiers are buried.

All the logistics and the organization of the trip, as well as the expenses, were under the responsibility of the Corporación América -duena de Aeropuertos Argentina 2000-, of Eduardo Eurnekian, who had for years been committed to the cause Malvinas. During the trip that the businessman made to the Falklands last December, it was the islanders themselves who proposed the realization of this second humanitarian flight.