FOR many of the 46,000 UK forces who fought against evil Saddam Hussein, Iraq feels like a forgotten war.
But thanks to the Royal British Legion, the nation will come together to remember the 179 service men and women who lost their lives there.
We will also pay tribute to the 6,000 who were wounded in the conflict and the untold thousands whose health is still paying the price for serving in Operation Telic.
In May, it will be 15 years since our troops officially pulled out of Iraq after a brutal campaign that began in 2003.
And to mark the anniversary, the Royal British Legion is hosting a service of commemoration which is expected to be attended by thousands who saw service in Iraq between March 2003 and May 22, 2011.
It will be the first ever national tribute to Iraq veterans and their families.
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The historic event will be held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on May 22.
RAF Corporal Steve Hooper, 42, who served two tours as an ambulance driver in the southern city of Basra, will be among those attending.
Steve, who was Team GB captain at last year’s Invictus Games in Canada, suffers from complex PTSD. He says taking part in the commemorations will be tough due to it bringing back memories of days in the hellish conflict
After serving in Northern Ireland, he volunteered in late 2006 for a four-month deployment at Basra airfield.
I was regularly covered head to toe in blood because when you come off the back of the helicopter the ramp sometimes seemed like a river of blood.
RAF Corporal Steve Hooper
He recalls: “I had scant medical training as I’d be driving medics but no training could have prepared me for what happened out there.
“It was a baptism of fire. The injuries we witnessed were unlike anything I’d ever seen before or since.
‘Head to toe in blood’
“So many of those casualties I remember in startling detail and clarity. There was a little boy of about ten, whose father brought him to the gate of the compound.
“He’d stood on an IED and the burns and trauma to his legs was horrendous.
“He was so brave. We wanted to put him in the ambulance to take him to the hospital but he insisted on walking.”
Not all of Steve’s casualties could be saved though and those are the ones he wears heaviest.
“I was regularly covered head to toe in blood because when you come off the back of the helicopter the ramp sometimes seemed like a river of blood.”
Diagnosed with PTSD in 2009, Steve continued to serve for another nine years but when he was arrested for disturbing the peace while serving in Cyprus, he realised he had hit rock bottom and sought help.
Now working in cyber security, Steve says: “I’m really grateful for this national commemoration.
“It sometimes feels like the forgotten conflict. People remember Afghanistan but there’s not a lot of talk about Iraq.”
Cpl Chris Brogan was deployed to Iraq with the Royal Corps of Signals just three days after his son, Jake was born in February 2009.
Chris, 45, from Maidstone, Kent, transmitted the final combat message from Iraq, in April 2009, prior to the official handover two years later.
THE IRAQ WAR
- 179 British forces died, including 6 members of the Royal Military Police, killed by a mob in Majar al-Kabir
- 7 SAS men were killed and 47 wounded in covert operations.
- 9 airmen and 1 soldier were killed when an RAF Hercules was shot down by insurgents in 2005
- 6,000 UK troops wounded
- 46,000 British troops took part in the biggest tank battle since WWII
- 47 Military Crosses and 9 Conspicuous Gallantry Crosses were won, along with Pte Johnson Beharry’s Victoria Cross
He says: “Having the opportunity to come together and reflect with other people who were there is so important.
“We must remember the sacrifices made by those who never came back.”
One of those who did come back is Petty Officer Writer Janet Riddell, 59, a Chief Clerk handling currency for US and British forces based in Baghdad.
In her first week at Camp Victory in October 2006, Iraqi dictator Hussein was hanged in the compound next door.
The service in May is a massive honour for veterans because it is in memory of all those who have fallen and those of us who are still here but carry the scars of war.
Janet Riddell, Chief Clerk for Brit Forces
Two months, later the American Black Hawk helicopter transporting her back to Camp Victory was hit by small arms fire.
Flying at just 150ft, the stricken chopper crashed to the ground.
Janet, from Portsmouth, Hants, says: “I was thrown forward and badly damaged both knees but in particular my right one.”
Carrying her handgun for safety, Janet was able to hobble to a second helicopter which landed nearby but her right knee never recovered and her leg was eventually amputated under local anaesthetic.
She stayed awake so she could use her amputated limb in a “guess the weight of the leg contest”. It weighed 4.981kilos and raised £1,700 for charity.
Medically discharged, she now has a £100,000 prosthetic leg and gives her time to Turn To Starboard, a charity that takes disabled veterans sailing.
Janet says: “The service in May is a massive honour for veterans because it is in memory of all those who have fallen and those of us who are still here but carry the scars of war.”
HOW TO APPLY TO ATTEND
IF you are a veteran or a member of the Armed Forces who took part in Operation Telic in Iraq you can sign up to attend Remembering Iraq 15 Years On.
The Royal British Legion, which is hosting the even, is are also encouraging loved ones of the 179 fallen and families of anyone who served in Iraq from 2003 – 2011 to attend.
Register by April 12 by using the special QR code here or visit rbl.org.uk