The helmet that saved the life of an Argentine soldier in the Falklands is sold online at $ 13,000: the hero wants to get it back.

A publication on ebay, one of the world's most famous online stores, draws attention to the product on sale. "Helmet of an Argentine soldier of the Battle of Monte Longdon", said

The helmet, pierced by fragments of mortar, bears the name of its owner in 1982: Jorge "Beto" Altieri. The publication states that the soldier is alive and his price is £ 10,500 sterling, a little more than $ 13,000 or half a million Argentine pesos.

Altieri, a veteran of the Falklands, says calmly that he knows the story. And this is not the first time that they are auctioning the helmet that saved his life. He himself tried to buy it, 30 years after the war, when he learned at that time that they were finishing it. He made the offer, but at the last minute, an Englishman tripled the offer and took it.

In those almost 37 years after the war, there has been a lot of reconciliation between the veterans of both countries. Thus, objects were returned – hulls, jackets and even a trumpet – that after the fighting the British soldiers took away as combat memories. But this time, it did not happen.

The soldier, who fought in the terrible battle of Mount Longdon, clearly recognizes his helmet: he wrote in the pen "Beto Altieri" inside.

"I would pay for the helmet what the collector paid for at the first auction, about 800 pounds, I'm surprised at the price he's got now"said.

The British Bruce, who bought the war trophy almost 7 years ago and is auctioning it today, confirms Infobae who is ready to part with the helmet but without lowering the price.

"A helmet of the Second World War alone, without name, has just been auctioned at 55,000 pounds", clarifies. "The collectibles or military items of the Falklands war have an infinitely lower price, but this case is special, it combines the soldier's story, the fact that he is alive and bears his name, and that the battle of Monte Longdon was the most important for the British III Parachute Regiment, "he says.

"The helmet also has the perforation of the impacts that caused the serious injury to the soldier, making it a unique piece"he adds.

On the online page, Bruce or blackrottie, according to his collector user, states: "The Argentine soldier is alive and well, so this helmet, in my opinion, has a conservative price".

The Briton extensively describes the history of Altieri in the islands – in English and Spanish – and states that "the name of Altieri is written inside, you can also read Beto" . The mortar shell burst caused considerable damage to the hull, the steel lid was opened and the luster continued through the liner. "

The seller reproduces testimonies that the Argentine soldier gave in various interviews to describe the tragic moment of the battle where he could have died: "I caught my head … I've lost tissues from the left side of my brain that contains the conduction circuits of the arms, legs, and speech. I've also lost my left eye. I have a prosthesis now. "

And he adds, to give more strength to the story, more words of Altieri in which he describes his difficult return: "I remember some moments when I was in the hospital, but I knew other details only because they told me. They say that I insulted them all and shouted that they were cowards because they were not going to fight, asking them to go help our comrades.. These were soldiers serving in the hospital, not fighters … I stayed on the island until June 14th. I was transported in the last Hercules aircraft departing from Malvinas for the mainland. "

But now it's Beto Altieri who, consulted by Infobae, reveals how he arrived in the islands, his experiences of war and the fate of his helmet. They have spent more than three decades and, although he speaks with serenity, even today, he makes unanswered statements.

"I am one of the many clbad 62 soldiers called to defend the homeland, I did the compulsory military service in 1981, I was demobilized in March 1982 and I was reincorporated in April when we arrived. In Malvinas, we have known for a long time what it was called, it was Monte Longdon, we were there until June 11, at 9 or 10 o'clock in the evening of the beginning of the fight, we There were 200 soldiers, Argentines, I was from Compañia B Maipú, Regiment 7 of La Plata Coronel Conde. We are facing battalion III paratroopers, consisting of more than 400 Britons. We had the support of the members of Company C of Regiment 7, who came to help us get off the mountain, "he says.

He remembers the moment when he felt the bursts of mortar sending him back into his trench, the blood running down his face, the helmet torn like paper, the pain was unbearable: "Around 5:30 in the morning and after a long fight, they even hurt my head. Thank God I had this headset… At a first sergeant of the 10th Armored Exploration Brigade, he was killed and the soldier Rito was wounded in the legs. When one is involved in a battle, he does not realize what is happening … Over time, you are dealing with the experiences. "

The first news he had from his helmet was seven years ago: "He treated me as a little boy and told me that he was shot in London." bears his name, it's his helmet, "he said. The impact was marked. I wanted to buy it at auction and, with one minute to close the sale, an Englishman offered a lot more money and he beat me up. "

"It turned out that it's the same man who sells it today, he never wanted to give it back to me and I did not want him to give it to me … But for me it was and is very important. It's the helmet that saved my life, which allowed me to start a family, which allowed me to travel the country talking with everyone who was in the Falklands. .", He confesses with emotion.

"Some time ago, a friend of mine who was going to London went to see the owner of the helmet, and I wanted to know if he sold it to me for the value that he had paid for. from this first auction, but he did not accept it. They have said that there are international treaties that determine that if war elements are discovered and their owner is identified, they must be returned. But in this case, it has not arrived yet"

"Look how is life: I fought in Longdon, but when the war ended, my helmet appeared in Puerto Argentino and whoever discovered it never knew that it had me. saved life, it may be a Para III who fought against me in the mountains … ", reflects.

Altieri was seriously injured. It's this helmet that protected him from a certain death. Upon his return from the war, he was operated on at the Regional Hospital of Comodoro Rivadavia, where, during his recovery, he was photographed with his father. Over the years, this image has become a symbol: it's the one that reminds you every day "The miracle of being alive."

The mark of the impacts and the holes left by the shears, are the details that make the helmet Altieri valuable object for war material collectors.

Bruce's publication invites buyers to bid: "A rare opportunity to own an impressive piece of military history from the infamous bloody battle of Mount Longdon, which took place on June 11 and 12, 1982 during the Malvinas War. VGG Jorge Beto Altieri was seriously injured in the head by shells fired by British mortars. "And below, the price of 10,500 pounds.

Beto Altieri is the soldier who has returned from death. That's what he feels. His broken helmet is a faithful record of the serious injuries he suffered. "Despite the terrible aftermath that I face every day, I know that without him, I would not be alive. Malvinas is present every day of my life, because when I get up, I have to dress up with one hand, tie my shoe with one hand, wipe my eyes, d & # 's. 39, a hand. I look at myself in the mirror and see the Malvinas, He confessed a few years ago and repeats today displaced.

To keep the memory alive, the veteran – with his colleagues at the Argentinian Center for the wounded in the Malvinas – gives lectures in schools of the country. It's a way of honoring those who have never returned.

-What are you going to do to recover your helmet? question Infobae.

The hero responds with two words: "Have hope".

Beto is a patient man. He knows that at some point, the helmet that saved his life will come back to him.