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Hunger strike hero victory: Old soldier wins mental health care battle
 [Express] A FALKLANDS veteran who went on hunger strike in protest at the treatment of ex-servicemen has won a victory after the former head of the British Army intervened in the case. Ex-paratrooper Gus Hales, 62, launched his protest over the "disgraceful" lack of mental health care for former soldiers and the prosecutions that are being brought against those who have served in Northern Ireland.The married father says his comrades from out and refusing to eat to draw attention to his cause. A week after the Daily Express first highlighted his protest, Mr Hales' former troop commander General Sir Peter Wall, president of veterans' charity Combat Stress, pledged to review cases of former service members treated for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sir Peter, the Chief of the General Staff until 2014, visited and handed a letter to Mr Hales, on the seventh day of his protest, apologising for his treatment. The visit came ahead of a rally by more than 100 former servicemen. Mr Hales called Sir Peter "brilliant" and said his letter had "gone a long way" to help. The ex-sergeant has vowed to continue his protest until Remembrance Day next Sunday, which this year coincides with Armistice Day. In his letter to Mr Hales, Sir Peter said: "I would like to acknowledge the admiration you are attracting for your brave and highly-visible media campaign to draw attention to the plight of veterans with mental ill-health from their military service. Posted by: Besoeker 2018-11-05 |
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