Recognise the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands conflict

Many events have been organised throughout the nation to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict; Birmingham are inviting all Falklands veterans to a mayoral dinner, there is a parade in London on the 17th June, and the town of Gosport has declared all Falklands Vets freemen of the town.

Most towns, large or small, are commemorating the fallen of the conflict with either a wreath laying, march past or drumhead service. Regionally Carlisle, Southport and Chorley have all held some sort of event to comemmorate the anniversary.

I am therefore disappointed that, as a city, Manchester seem disinclined to mark the event. Emails sent over the last few months to the City Council, enquiring about any planned events, have gone unanswered.

The Manchester Military Tattoo have kindly agreed to donate proceeds from this year's Tattoo on 14th July to SAMA 82, and the Imperial War Museum North have had a Falklands theme running, but nobody within the city council seems interested in remembering the 252 service personnel who lost their lives in the conflict.
This is particularly disrespectful to the memory of Pte Mark Fletcher of 2 Para, a Manchester lad who was killed whilst trying to save a friend's life during the battle for Goose Green.

I find it incredible that a city of well over 2 Million people, which MUST have been represented in this war by it's sons, can now ignore those same individuals, and the courage they displayed 8,000 miles and a quarter of a century away.

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UPDATE:

The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Cllr Glynn Evans, met with the author of this petition and another Falklands veteran in late summer 2007, and expressed sympathy with and interest in our case, and the subject of Veterans' issues.

He presented a plaque to the community centre at Goose Green along with a covering letter expressing commemoration and friendship between the two communities. These were presented to the manager of Goose Green settlement in November 2007, during the 25th Anniversary Pilgrimage.

This petition now continues to secure a permanent memorial within the city of Manchester.

WOULD SIGNATORIES PLEASE PASS A LINK TO THIS PETITION TO AS MANY FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND FAMILY AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU ALL.