OP Mike Smith (60-65) accompanies Argentine veteran around Falklands chapel.

On March 14th only the second known Argentine veteran of the Falklands conflict 29 years ago visited the College to be shown around the Falklands Islands Memorial Chapel.

Horacio Benitez was a 19 year old conscripted sergeant during the Falklands war in 1982. He was wounded in the head at the Battle of Mount Longdon and left for dead on the battlefield until being discovered by an English army medical officer who realised that he was still alive and saved his life.

Horacio was accompanied by his wife Mane as well as by Mike Smith and Fleet Air Arm veterans Jim and Jo Purvis. At the College they were welcomed by the chaplain, Rev. Brian Cunningham, who showed them around the chapel. Later they had tea with the Headmaster Thomas Garnier. Photographs of the visit (in the Gallery section) were taken by Don Somner.

In the Chapel Horacio and Mane lingered at the collection of 44 books published in the UK about the war and at the model display of 105 ships which made up the British flotilla that sailed to the South Atlantic. Later Horacio told the Headmaster of his search for reconciliation and his encounter with Lt. Col. Chris Keeble of 2 Para. Horacio now runs an organic/health foods company in Buenos Aires whch he is hoping to expand internationally.

An article about the visit written by Mike Smith may be accessed on the website of Initiatives for Change at www.uk.iofc.org while a longer article Mike wrote for the magazine 'For A Change' is available on the magazine's archival website through a link at the foot of his latest account.