Sunday, January 6, 2013

Rest In Peace PARA Hero Stephen Hood

Ex Para Stephen Hood, pictured here drinking after the battle of Goose Green, has been found dead in his car
From Daily Mail:

Iconic hero of Goose Green kills himself hours after Argentina reignites hostilities: 'Sabre-rattling' may have triggered Para's post-traumatic stress

  • Ex-Para who featured Goose Green victory footage found dead in car
  • Stephen Hood died just hours after row over islands reignited
  • His widow has now urged politicians to stop their sabre-rattling
By Mark Nicol



A Falklands War hero distressed by recent flare-ups in hostilities between Britain and Argentina has been found dead in his car.

Ex-Para Stephen Hood – who featured in iconic film footage celebrating victory at the battle of Goose Green – died just hours after Argentine president Cristina de Kirchner reignited the sovereignty row over the islands. Yesterday, his distraught widow Carol urged politicians to stop their sabre-rattling for the sake of traumatised veterans.

She told The Mail on Sunday: ‘What do the politicians achieve with their to-ing and fro-ing? Nothing. They should let it lie and leave it to the people of the Falkland Islands to determine their future.
‘Tragically the war never goes away and Stephen found that difficult. He wouldn’t say much to me about it but I knew something was wrong. I used to call it his dead eyes, as if he was holding something back.’

Father-of-two Hood, known as ‘Hank’ to Army colleagues, was found dead on Thursday six miles from his home in Rhyl, North Wales.

Police believe the 52-year-old died from carbon monoxide poisoning....


There are more pictures, details and video footage from Goose Green at the Daily Mail here.

There are no words of comfort to be offered here; only prayers from my heart that this PARA hero finds the peace he so richly deserves.




[Bratnote:  I have written a few times about the Falklands.  For one of those - with background - go here]

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