Get reunited at the Veterans Village

Hundreds of former service men and women are set to arrive in Southend next weekend as the town supports Veterans Day 2007, part of this year’s Westcliff Casino Southend Airshow.A huge Veterans Village will be created on the seafront, hosted by many local Veterans Associations. They are calling for veterans of all ages, including those who have served in more recent conflicts such as the Falklands and Iraq to come along and share their stories.

There will be the Pegasus Collection (the largest collection of WWII memorabilia), “then and now” photographic exhibitions and weapon displays, plus a giant interactive screen where people can leave messages for former colleagues and friends who they may have served with.

The Veterans Agency will also be on hand to promote the support available to Veterans, and there will be opportunities for all ex-service people to apply for their “Veterans Badge”.

Southend’s Veterans Village is being supported by Friends Reunited.

Jonathan Clark, Head of Friends Reunited, says: “Friendships forged between comrades in the armed forces form amongst the strongest bonds especially for those who served in war-time Britain, so it’s particularly hard when friends lose contact over the years. We’ve heard of some particularly heart-warming stories of old pals reuniting through the site and the changes we’ve made to improve the service mean it’s now easier than ever to find that special person you may be looking for.

“One member reunited with a fellow evacuee after 60 years apart and another with his Navy cabin mate after 30 years. It would be wonderful to see more reunions at this year’s airshow.”

Councillor John Lamb, Southend’s Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Regeneration, says: “I am delighted that we have been able to support Veterans Day at the Airshow. Please come along and support the veterans, hear their interesting stories and how they continue to contribute to their local communities.”

Veteran’s Day has been organised by the Ministry of Defence and officially takes place on the 27th of June.

For more information log onto www.southendairshow.com or call the Airshow Hotline on 01702 390333.

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