Lawrence Asher's tale on page one of his wartime rescue from Dunkirk, his terrible injuries, the death of his friend and his work later in the war deserves to be read.

Thousands of other people have similarly moving war tales to tell and in this new millennium, it is vitally important we do not forget to listen to them, and think about what they can teach us - selfishness, courage, commitment, a belief in fighting for what we believe is right.

Lawrence does not say what he was fighting for, either heady concepts of freedom or simply to defend his family and loved ones from the Nazi threat, but one thing is certain - even today, we must make sure that his sacrifice, and those of other

generations, are not forgotten.

And we must also consider the debt we still owe to those who fought to give us the comforts and human rights we enjoy today.

Casting party politics aside, it is shameful that in today's society, some pensioners who fought to defend this country lie cold in their homes in the winter because they cannot afford to heat them. That some frail and elderly people dare not leave their houses for fear of crime. That we cannot give all

pensioners the health service they deserve. It is up to the people in power today, and those who vote them into such positions of importance, to make sure everything possible is done to try to repay in part a small measure of our debt.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.