PLEASE HARRY.. HELP US HONOUR MY SON
Dad’s memorial plea over prince’s tragic former comrade
PRINCE Harry has been urged to help the family of a tragic former comrade to get the lasting honour he deserves.
Nathan Hunt served alongside the Duke of Sussex and saved the lives of many comrades in Afghanistan.
But after he went on to develop post traumatic stress, he was tragically found hanged at his home.
His grieving family were then told Nathan’s name will not be added to the national Armed Forces Memorial after defence chiefs ruled his death was not directly linked to his service.
Today his mum and dad, Derek and Maria Hunt, share the letter they have written to the prince in the hope he can help them force a U-turn.
In the moving document, they tell Harry they are “heartbroken”.
They add: “Nathan was a dedicated professional soldier who gave everything in the service of his country.
“We believe he was a casualty of war and he died of mental wounds sustained during his service in Afghanistan.
“You have always been a champion of veterans and we hope that your influence might help the Ministry of Defence to change its policy and add Nathan’s name to the memorial wall.”
Bombs
Nathan served alongside Harry in 2008 in Helmand as part of a desert reconnaissance unit. His role was to locate bombs planted by the Taliban.
He was a Royal Engineers Warrant Officer when he died aged 39.
His parents, who met Harry and wife Meghan in 2018, insist Nathan should be included on the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, which contains names of more than 16,000 killed in action or from disease since the end of the Second World War.
The names of three other soldiers who served in Afghanistan and died after taking their own lives are engraved on the memorial in Staffordshire.
Grieving Derek told the Sunday People: “Nathan’s medical reports show his condition deteriorated after he returned from Afghanistan.
“So we just don’t understand why the MOD are basically saying there is no connection between what he experienced there and his mental health.
“He was a dedicated soldier who spent 23 years in the Army. He risked his life almost every day in Afghanistan and his actions saved the lives of many soldiers.
“Nathan’s job was to find bombs and he did it brilliantly, often under fire
from the Taliban. But it took a toll. Nathan might not have come back with physical injuries, but he was mentally wounded. And those mental wounds took his life. As far as we are concerned, he was a casualty of war.”
The dad added: “Everyone who worked with Nathan knew he was selfless and committed.
“The very least the Ministry of Defence could do would be to add his name to the war memorial so that our family and his descendants will be able to see the sacrifice he made in the service of his country.
“Prince Harry appreciated the sacrifice that Nathan made. It’s just a shame the MOD can’t do the same.
“I can’t understand why they are being so heartless.”
Defence chiefs ruled in May that Nathan’s name should not be included on the memorial.
Derek, 70 and Maria, 68, from Lincoln, appealed but that was turned down in September. Lieutenant General James Swift wrote to the couple stating “on the balance of probabilities”, their son’s death could not be attributed to his service.
A psychiatric report produced after Nathan died said he experienced “traumatic exposure” in Afghanistan and had “some elements of PTSD.”
An inquest found he had died from hanging.
During his six months in Afghanistan the soldier received a Mention in
Dispatches. The citation for his award described him as “a superb example of leadership, professionalism and a fantastic ambassador to his corps.”
The MOD said: “Careful consideration is given to each case and the decision not to include WO Hunt’s name on the Armed Forces Memorial does not detract from his service in the Army. We are eternally grateful.”
The Sunday People’s Save Our Soldiers campaign calls for those returning from war zones to get care they need and deserve.
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