It is 30 years since the Falklands War ended. The war lasted 74 days from 2 April to 14 June 1982.

Over 900 people died in the conflict. On 2 April 1982 Argentine Forces invaded the Falkland Islands. They sent lots of soldiers with guns. Over 100 ships and 1500 men were sent from Britain to protect the islands. It took 3 weeks for the ships to get there. British planes attacked Argentine planes. Argentine planes attacked British ships and British planes. Bombs were dropped from planes. Missiles were fired from ships and planes. Ships sank. Soldiers attacked each other on the islands. 11313 Argentine soldiers were taken prisoner. On 14 June Argentina surrendered and a ceasefire was declared. It is very sad that soldiers were hurt or died in the war. There are lots of memorial events happening to remember the Falklands War. A permanent memorial has been set up at the National Memorial Arboretum in Shropshire. It is dedicated to the 255 British servicemen who died. There is already a beautiful War Windows Garden there with flowerbeds to represent the different stages of grief: red for anger, purple for despair, pastels for acceptance and yellow for memories. There are lots of special memorial services at cathedrals and churches around the country, as well as parades and wreath laying ceremonies. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard had a special Remember the Falklands weekend. Two Royal Navy ships HMS Dragon and HMS York were open to the public. Naval officers wore uniform and displayed infantry kit and weapons. They set up a command post with documents, radios and maps. There was live music from a Royal marines band. Simon Weston was born on 8 August 1961. He was just 20 years old when he went to war in the Falklands. He was on board ship RFA Sir Galahad, which carried ammunition and thousands of gallons of petrol and diesel when it was bombed and destroyed by fire. 48 Welsh Guards were killed and 97 were injured. Weston survived but had 46% burns. His own mother did not recognize him at hospital. He had over 70 operations. Skin from his shoulders was used to make eyelids and skin from his buttocks was used to construct a nose. It was a terrible time and he was very depressed, but his mum helped him overcome it. He now thinks he is lucky that he survived. Simon has done a lot of charity work and is married with 3 children and a grandson. The Falklands are a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South America. There are 2 big islands and 776 small islands. The capital city is called Stanley. The islands have been British territory since 1833, although Argentina still disputes this. Islanders have British citizenship and speak English. There are beautiful mountains on the big islands and lots of special birds live there. There are 5 types of penguins and a very special kind of bird called albatross. Seals and sealions breed on the island. It is quite cold and damp, and very windy in the Falklands. No trees grow naturally there, but lots of grass, perfect for sheep farming!