Normandy vets back to Normandy

[awmperry]

The following appeal was just posted to the Alvis Stalwart Yahoo group ("Stolly"), and since it's a deserving cause, I thought I'd post it here to spread the word.

All,

As you may know - next year is the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings andthe Normandy Veterans Association is trying to get all the surviving veteransover there one last time for them to be able to revisit the scenes of theirendeavours and, perhaps, say one last goodbye to their fallen comrades whostill lie there. They estimate it will cost £300,000 to get them all over - theUS and Canadian Gov't are fully funding the visits of their surviving veterans;the UK Gov't wont part with a penny. Although perhaps that comes as nosurprise....

Well, one of the online forums - HMVF (sure you are all aware of it if notactual members) - has decided this is not right, the NVA should not be left tostruggle to raise the funds alone and so we have set an initial target ofraising £4,000 to get 10 veterans over - if we can do more all the better - andwe are taking the liberty of asking everyone we know if they would like tocontribute to this highly worthwhile cause. Full details are below. If youwould like to help please use one of the donation methods specified and acceptour grateful thanks. If you don't want to or can't then please accept my thanksfor having waded through this.

Neil.

"Once More Onto The Beach!

Next year, 2009, marks the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Many of theveterans who have survived are now getting on in years and may not be aroundfor subsequent anniversaries. You might think the British government would payfor our war heroes to return, after all, they helped save the free world?Unfortunately, and sadly, this is not the case. The USA and Canadiangovernments have promised funding for their veterans to return. They are payingfor them to travel thousands of miles. The round trip from New York to Paris isat least 7,270 miles. If coming from the west coast of the USA then it is an11,332 round trip. The British government is refusing to pay for veterans tocross, what is in some cases just 24 miles of water to France. This may not comeas a surprise to anyone....

The Normandy Veterans Association (NVA) are trying to get as many UK veteransback over there in 2008 to give them a chance to revisit the scenes of theirendeavours and perhaps one last chance to say goodbye to fallen comrades wholie at rest in the many cemeteries; they estimate it will cost around £400 perhead and they are trying to raise £300,000 to cover getting the survivingveterans out there.
As our hobby is the restoration of ex-military machines one of the groups/forums- the Historic Military Vehicle Forum (or HMVF) - have decided that we owethese men (and women) a great debt of gratitude both for the freedoms we enjoyand take so very much for granted these days and for the fact that, were it notfor them, we wouldn't have a hobby! To that end they have committed to raise atleast £4,000 to get ten of the veterans out to Normandy and we are asking allour resources to assist us in doing so.
If anyone would like to help out in this appeal they can do so in the ways detailedbelow. Jack Beckett of HMVF and the NVA have worked out the best way to makepayment so that they can cover all avenues. They can accept cheques, banktransfer, cash and PayPal. They would like, if possible, to make sure that allpayments have the reference of HMVF on them so that we can track all paymentsmade and thus know where we stand in regards to how we are doing. Jack can sendeveryone making a donation receipts if needed for personal records or for theaccountant:

Cheque:
Payable to - Normandy Veterans Association
Sent to – HMVF Campaign
Jack Beckett.
Pathfinder Distribution Ltd
Unit 9 Luccombe Business Centre
Milton Abbas
Blandford
Dorset
DT11 0BD

Jack will then forward these onto the NVA.

Bank Transfer direct to the NVA account:
Account: 73578983
Sort: 60 16 03
Name: Normandy Veterans Association

Please send an email to jack@hmvf.co.ukletting him know what you have sent so that he can add it to the rolling total.

Cash – with your full name and address to:
HMVF Campaign
Jack Beckett
Pathfinder Distribution Ltd
Unit 9 Luccombe Business Centre
Milton Abbas
Blandford
Dorset
DT11 0BD

PayPal:
jack@hmvf.co.uk

The NVA do not have a PayPal account and asked if they could use the HMVF one.HMVF then forward payment to the NVA account every time they have over £50 inthe account. Please be aware that PayPal will take a fee from your donation ofaround 3%. HMVF are speaking to them to see if they can get this waived.

If we can reach our target of £4,000 that will be excellent - if we can exceedit (and I really hope we can) then for every £400 we can reach over the topthat's one less veteran's cost the NVA will have to worry about!!!

Well, it would cost the taxpayer about as much to ship them over to Normandy as it costs for Prescott to go to the Bahamas a couple of times, and we sent them for free back in 1944. Let's give them one more trip on our tab, shall we?

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.