Plymouth veteran to join Cenotaph march-past in charity delegation
Former Royal Marine Nigel Williams, from Plymouth, is one of 50 veterans, carers, and staff from Help for Heroes, who will commemorate the service and sacrifice of all those who have served in the military at the Cenotaph march-past on Remembrance Sunday (12 November), in London.
It is Help for Heroes largest delegation – including 31 veterans supported by the Charity – to yet attend the annual parade, which sees 10,000 members of the veteran community marching shoulder to shoulder in an act of remembrance along Whitehall.
Nigel, 60, who is originally from London, served for nearly 20 years and saw service in Iraq and Bosnia. He was shot and injured, in 1981, and was then run down by a 17-ton lorry, near Lympstone, in 1998, which caused a brain injury. He was medically discharged in 2000.
He said: “I’ve been supported by Help for Heroes for the last eight years. The team have helped me with my brain injury and gunshot wound and have helped me to get better, motivating me to push myself physically.”
Nigel’s grandfather was a squadron leader in World War II, and he will remember him among many others as he takes his place in the march-past.
He explained: “I will feel proud in my wheelchair, as I think of all the comrades I have lost. It’s an opportunity to say thank you to all the heroes who lost their lives in various conflicts.”
A spokesman for Help for Heroes added: “As we join the nation to commemorate the men and women who lost their lives while serving our country, Help for Heroes also remembers those still fighting their own battles today.
“We remain at the side of veterans and their families who are struggling with painful injuries, mental trauma, isolation, and more – providing life-changing support for as long as it takes.”
Thanks to the generosity of the British public, Help for Heroes has helped transform the lives of more than 30,000 veterans and family members. But there are thousands more who need the Charity right now, and many who will require its support for the rest of their lives.
The Charity supports veterans, and their families, from any branch of the UK military – regulars or reserves – irrespective of length or place of service, and locally embedded civilians (and their families) who worked alongside our Armed Forces.
n Supporting our veterans is a wonderful living tribute to the memory of the fallen. To support Help for Heroes in transforming lives, please visit helpforheroes.org.uk/donate.
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