Blesma News
Latest news from Blesma, The Limbless Veterans
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Remembering the Gulf War at 30: Allens Parton's Story
28 February 2021
Today (28 February) marks the 30th anniversary of the ending of the first Gulf War. Fought in 1990-1991, it was the biggest deployment of the UK Armed Forces since World War II. About the conflict The Gulf War started following Iraq’s President Saddam Hussein orders for his troops to invade oil-rich Kuwait on 2 August 1990. The United Nations (UN) immediately condemned the actions and sanctions were imposed on Iraq to pressure them to withdraw by 15 January 1991. US Preside
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"I've never given up in my life - I'm a Gunner!"
26 February 2021
When Blesma Member Stanley Morgan was admitted to the Royal Surrey Hospital with severe Covid symptoms, lead Chaplain Adrian Teare spent time with him. This is his account of Stanley's story... You can’t see it,” says Stanley, his eyes glistening with the heavy tears of a long life ebbing and flowing through each breath. “You can’t see it,” he says again, gripping my gloved hand, “but I’m travelling to Jill now!” The clock has long since struck 8pm and the clapping has finished. The wards are hushed on Stanley’s last night in hospital, and his excitement can’
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Meet Blesma Member Scott Yarrington
22 February 2021
Scott Yarrington, 35, from Birmingham, served with the Irish Guards from 2005 to 2013. He was injured by an IED blast in Afghanistan in 2010 which resulted in him losing both legs above the knee, as well as seriously injuring an arm. Almost a decade after sustaining his life-changing injuries, we caught up with him to talk about rehabilitation, rebuilding his life, and the importance of Remembrance... Tell us a bit about your military career... I’d wanted to be a soldier for as long as I could remember – I tried to join up whe
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A live talk with Captain Craig
19 February 2021
At 2pm on the 25th of February Blesma Member Craig Wood, who became a triple-amputee aged 18 before setting off to sail the world solo, will be giving a live Zoom talk to Blesma Members. This is his story... “I had always wanted to join the British Army. I signed up at 17 and loved it straight away, it was the lifestyle that I really enjoyed. I deployed to Sangin, in Afghanistan, in April 2009, three days after my 18th birthday. Three months in, I got blown up. We had been out on a routine patrol when we stopped for a drink. When we set off again, I remember wa
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