Mark Francois, MP for Rayleigh and Wickford and his colleague Stephen Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock turned out on Armed Forces Day last Saturday, to help pay tribute to past and present members of HM Armed Forces.
The two MPs, accompanied by the Mayor of Basildon, Cllr David Dodds and other local dignitaries, inspected a parade by some 30 Armed Forces Veterans, who then witnessed the Armed Forces Day flag being raised over the Bascentre by the Mayor, assisted by the local Army Cadet Force (ACF).
Commenting on the occasion, former Armed Forces Minister, Mark Francois said:
“Armed Forces Day provides a special opportunity to thank all those Armed Forces personnel, including those still serving and Veterans for everything they have done to help keep our country safe. Stephen and I were honoured to participate in this important ceremony and, as a former serviceman myself, I have to say we were both impressed by the Veterans’ very smart turnout.
My late father, Reginald Francois, was a D-Day Veteran and he taught me that we should never take living in a free country for granted. Armed Forces Day is an important part of that process.”
