Shameless Blair and the neglect of our heroes’ loved ones

ON Thursday, a monument was unveiled to the 682 servicemen and women and the 144 civilians who died fighting for freedom in afghanistan and iraq.

What should have been a day of commemoration for the loved ones of our brave soldiers turned into an unholy and unforgivable shambles.

Many families of the fallen were not even informed about the ceremony, let alone given a ticket to attend.

as reg Keys — whose son lance corporal Tom Keys, 20, was one of six red caps murdered by a mob in an ambush in iraq — said: ‘had i been invited i would have gone to honour my son, but nobody invited me.’

But what was really offensive was the attendance of Tony Blair, the man who took us into two disastrous wars and, by failing to properly equip our troops, was responsible for so many deaths.

Grieving families said it was a ‘disgrace’ Mr Blair had been given an invitation when they had not.

Tracey hazel lost her son corporal Ben leaning, 24, in southern iraq in april 2007 when his vehicle was hit by a bomb. she spoke for thousands when she said of Blair’s invitation: ‘i honestly think somebody else should have had his ticket, like one of the parents.’

in the end, of more than 2,500 tickets, just 250 or so were taken by families of the fallen. What an insult not just to the memory of those soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, but also to their families — the sons, daughters, husbands, wives, fathers and mothers whose loved ones are no longer with them.

But then, our soldiers have been appallingly treated throughout Blair’s misbegotten adventures abroad and the catastrophic aftermath. They were sent out illequipped, ill-prepared and without sufficient back-up. Those who came back injured had to fight for compensation and rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, ambulance-chasing lawyers such as the despicable Phil shiner were given free rein to hound British soldiers on trumped-up charges of war crimes.

is it any wonder the Forces are experiencing a recruitment crisis given the way our soldiers and their families have been treated?

services commemorating our war dead often end with the haunting reminder: ‘lest we forget.’ That so many families who have suffered beyond imagining feel forgotten today is shameful.