Statement by TUV East Belfast Westminster candidate and Parachute Regiment veteran John Ross:
“On the 80th Anniversary of D-Day the Union Flag along with one bearing the Parachute Regiment badge, fly proudly from my home overlooking Belfast.
“Anniversaries are a time of remembrance and reflection, to honour those who gave so much for the freedoms we enjoy today.
“In my mind, I look at what is happening to our country today, and particularly for me, this wee corner of the United Kingdom I call home, and think that the loss of so many was not to see part of our nation ruled by foreign laws and courts.
“Soldiers do not sacrifice their lives in battle, they fight to the bitter end to survive, their deaths are not glorious, they are hideous and terrifying, despite what it says on war memorials the length and breadth of our country.
“But as soldiers we remember our brothers lost in battle with sadness and pride, something which has been so evident in the poignant recollections of the dwindling number of old soldiers now being aired on the media.
“To Remember is to Honour. Lest We Forget must never be empty words!”