A Call to Airborne Veterans
His brother was murdered at Warrenpoint. Terry Woods later joined 2 PARA. Now he and Simon Barry are urging veterans to speak directly to Parliament before it is too late.
When Terry Woods addresses the Parachute Regimental Association AGM this weekend, he will speak not simply as a former soldier, but as a brother.
In August 1979, Terry’s brother was among the 18 soldiers murdered at Warrenpoint.
He was just 19 years old.
Rather than follow his original plan to study at university, Terry joined the Parachute Regiment, completed training, deployed to Northern Ireland with 2 PARA and served the remainder of the same emergency tour during which his brother had been killed.
That experience shapes this conversation with Lt Col (Retd) Simon Barry.
Together they argue that veterans should not remain silent while Parliament considers legislation that could shape how Operation Banner is judged for decades to come.
They believe the time has come for those who served to speak for themselves — not through political parties or pressure groups, but directly to the MPs elected to represent them.
This is the message Terry will take to the Airborne community:
Stand together.
Engage respectfully.
Support one another.
Tell your own story.
They are both encouraging veterans to become informed, meet their own MPs and ensure Parliament hears directly from those who carried out lawful orders on behalf of the nation.
As Simon Barry puts it, “We’re all in this together... let’s stand together shoulder to shoulder.”
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