Falklands War: Interview between El Destape and Geoffrey Cardozo, the Briton who built the Darwin Cemetery

From France and already aged 69, the British captain has recalled the "good guys". He believes his reward is the parents' smile in front of the graves now identified.

April 2, 2019

The British captain Geoffrey Cardozo He was the creator of the Darwin Cemetery, where more than 200 Argentine soldiers are buried in the Malvinas Islands. The 32-year-old officer arrived in the archipelago, after the end of the war, to provide the British with food, heat and psychological help. His mission changed after finding hundreds of young bodies on the battlefield. He buried them in a given piece of land and recorded the details in a notebook that arrived in Argentina in 2008. That year, three ex-combatants returned from England with the annotations after a meeting with Geoffrey. It was the impetus to go ahead with the whereabouts requests of every "Argentine soldier known only to God", buried in the Argentine Darwin Cemetery.

Since 2017 and up to now, a huge work team has managed to locate 112 of the 122 heroes of the Malvinas. Why did a former logistics officer from Britain's Ministry of Defense meet with Argentine media on April 2 and have details of those 37 years? "It's a very strong day for everyone, it reminds us of the courage of the fighters who died in the war," he says.

– Why your commitment to our dead?

I thought of their mothers as mine. He called them "boys", a term we use to designate the soldiers in charge, it is the responsibility of an officer. They were men for me. I felt that it was a human extension of you.

– What distinguishes Argentine soldiers?

-My opinion and that of my professional English friends are the same. Young and brave fighters. An opponent with remarkable bravery.

-How did you find the place where the cemetery is?

It was not easy because the islanders did not want a cemetery too close to the villages. But two men who had a small territory said "bring our field to the cemetery". A wonderful, almost biblical suggestion. I used this little piece of land to make a beautiful cemetery. But now, it's better, since they have proceeded to a reconstruction. The dead can find some peace.

-How did you coordinate the tasks?

After the conflict, it took four or five months to search for the bodies. They did not have their identification badges, we did not know what to do, they were human! On the battlefield, we buried them in temporary graves. On them we put fuses, helmets, … and I took notes. Between January and February 1983, we recovered them and transferred them to Darwin in British funeral homes to bury them. We made the decision to put them in two or three bags to keep them and it was essential to identify them 36 years later.

– Together with ex-fighter Julio Aro, they were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize … would it be a reward?

-The price is the relief of the mother and the "happiness", if you can use the word, parents to find their children, visit the cemetery, see the graves and spend time with their loved ones. The nomination itself is a very important fact, witnessing the importance of a whole group: the Argentinean Judicial Anthropology Team (EAAF), the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Forget Me Foundation and many other veterans' badociations and people who have a big heart.

– His attitude shows empathy, do you think this value is worn out in today 's world societies?

– In every country, there is a percentage of people who never want to understand, who are blind to the relevant things and that is the importance of education and the opportunities we can give to the youth, our future. We must take care of what we say to this new generation that begins with a pure soul, a clean heart and a blank page not to spoil.

– How's your life now?

I live in London and I work in Paris. I have a foundation for kids with psychological issues. I am married to a friend of my youth, I have a 26 year old nurse girl and a 27 year old man. For me, it's a privilege to have been the man "chosen" by I do not know who will do this important work for such brave people.

Geoffrey Cardozo arrived in Argentina in 1982 to provide social badistance and letters from family members as part of the support plan for his companions. However, he ended up writing one of the most moving stories of our country. Thanks to their contributions, the families of 112 Argentine soldiers receive the nights in peace.

* Mayra Jelvez is a correspondent for El Destape in Mendoza.