A 53-year-old from Carmarthen is one of 50 veterans, carers, and staff from Help for Heroes who will pay tribute to fallen comrades by joining the Cenotaph march-past on Remembrance Sunday.
It is Help for Heroes largest delegation – including 31 veterans supported by the Charity – to yet attend the annual parade, which sees 10,000 members of the veteran community marching shoulder to shoulder in an act of remembrance along Whitehall in London.
Former soldier Andrew MacDonald-Rice, originally from Basingstoke, served in the Royal Signals for five years, before being medically discharged. The Charity helps to fund his hydrotherapy and, generally, with welfare support.
He explained: “Help for Heroes has helped me out of a dark place and got me to be more physically able than I was. Knowing that the support is there is enough to keep going.”
Like the majority of veterans – and indeed the general British public – Remembrance Day is an important and poignant date for Andrew. And a chance to salute those in his own family who served.
He said: “It’s all about giving thanks to those who have lost their life in service for our country. To be able to attend the march-past is a big thing for me, enabling me to show my gratitude and to remember some friends lost.
“Although I do not have any medals of my own, I will be wearing both my grandfather’s and great-grandfather’s medals to honour them. I’m also looking forward to meeting other veterans, and gaining their support and comradeship.”
A spokesman for Help for Heroes added: “As we join the nation to commemorate the men and women who lost their lives while serving our country, Help for Heroes also remembers those still fighting their own battles today.
“We remain at the side of veterans and their families who are struggling with painful injuries, mental trauma, isolation, and more – providing life-changing support for as long as it takes.”
Thanks to the generosity of the British public, Help for Heroes has helped transform the lives of more than 30,000 veterans and family members. But there are thousands more who need the Charity right now, and many who will require its support for the rest of their lives.
Supporting our veterans is a wonderful living tribute to the memory of the fallen. To support Help for Heroes in transforming lives, please visit helpforheroes.org.uk/donate.