Gorgophone,
this is a lovely gesture, thank you very much. I have brought it to the attention of those in the Campaign and have been asked to post their personal responses.
Mike Tapper (Father of Jonathan):
Please tell your friend how grateful we are for this gesture which is greatly appreciated and please pass our best wishes to the Air Cadets who will be taking part in this project. It means a lot to us.
Mike and Hazel Tapper.
Chris Cook (Brother of Rick Cook):
I am delighted to hear about this, it is a great honour to all who died on ZD576 that this work is planned. Let us hope the Scottish summer weather is kind to the air cadets!
Regards,
Chris
James Arbuthnot MP (Chair of the Mull of Kintyre Campaign Group):
I am delighted that the air cadets are undertaking this work. Honouring the dead is as essential to the operation of our first rate armed forces as are the more immediate requirements of providing the armed forces with proper pay, good equipment and inspirational leadership. And those who died in the Chinook crash were men and women of great distinction in their many fields.
It is deeply affecting to find there are so many who care for those who died so long ago. We hope the 12th anniversary may bring what has eluded us so far - a setting aside of the verdict against Jonathan Tapper and Rick Cook, killed in and blamed for this crash.
In honouring their memory we help to keep alive the spirit that makes our country so good at what we do. We should all be grateful to the air cadets, but also to the Church of Scotland, the RAF and the USAF for their support for this excellent operation.
Yours ever,
James
Receiving the message was, for me, very humbling. I too, add my sincere thanks to the cadets. I have written to the Regional Commandant to formally record the thanks of the Campaign.
I've put a bid in for photographs too!
My best, as always.
Brian
"Justice has no expiry date" - John Cook