Mark Francois, MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, recently travelled to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, in his capacity as Minister of State for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, to lay a wreath and pay his respects to all those servicemen and women who have given their lives in the service of their country since World War Two.
Mark made the trip on behalf of the Ministry of Defence to the Armed Forces Memorial, which pays tribute to all the men and women of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces who have lost their lives in conflict, or as a result of terrorist action, or on training exercises since the end of the Second World War. Unlike other World War memorials in towns and villages across the Nation, there is nowhere else that collectively records over 16,000 names of those who have been killed on duty in recent times.
The Memorial, which was dedicated in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen on 12 October 2007, is a nationally significant focus for Remembrance, providing recognition and thanks for those who have given their lives in service to their country. As such, the Memorial has very recently been awarded a £2.85 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund that will help to better equip the centre to deal with their 300,000 visitors that are received there every year.
Commenting on his visit to the National Memorial Arboretum, Mark Francois said:
“Following my recent appointment as Minister of State with specific responsibility for Veterans, I wanted to visit the National Memorial Arboretum to pay my respects as soon as possible. It was an honour to be able to lay a wreath at the Memorial and to pay tribute to all those brave men and women who have died in the line of duty since World War Two. It is quite evident to any visitors to the site that it is far more than just a monument. To see families and friends pointing out the names of their lost loved ones is incredibly moving and I am very pleased to see that the Heritage Lottery Fund have recognised this and have granted nearly £3 million pounds to help make the Memorial even more special."