Letter from Colonel Geoffrey Cardozo to
the sister of the Argentine soldier Elbio Eduardo Araujo (Infantry Regiment 7th)
Eduardo C. Gerding
Elbio
Eduardo Araujo
(Kindly submitted by María Fernanda
Foreword
Of the 649 Argentines who died in the war, 237 were buried in the Darwin cemetery on Isla Soledad. And on the gravestone of 123 of them, instead of his name, it says "Argentine soldier only known by God".4
Colonel Geoffrey Cardozo
"There is a special bond
between any soldier, regardless of nationality. These soldiers from Argentina
and our soldiers are the same kind of people. We speak the same language
because we are soldiers. "4
http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-40310108
In 1982, Colonel Geoffrey
Cardozo, who speaks fluent Spanish, was 32 years old and worked in logistics at
the Ministry of Defense in London. On June 14, a call changed his life: he was
ordered to travel to the islands to take care of and maintain the discipline of
the men who had survived the war. 2. When the engineers
notified him of the discovery of bodies, Geoffrey mounted on a helicopter and
buried them well. 4
Thirty-five years later he was
part of the International Committee of the Red Cross that sought to identify
the 123 graves of Argentines. 3,5
On the second day of communication of the identities, María del Carmen
Penón not only received the confirmation that her son, Eduardo Araujo, rests in
one of the graves at Darwin cemetery but also recovered the belongings that
rested for decades with his body. 1
Elbio Eduardo Araujo
(Kindly submitted by María Fernanda Araujo)
This letter was sent to me by Colonel War Veteran Augusto Esteban Vilgré
Lamadrid and, the photographs, were kindly submitted by Mrs. María Fernanda
Araujo, current President of Relatives of
Fallen Military in Malvinas and South Atlantic Islands.
Dear María Fernanda,
From the moment I
learned that Eduardo had been located in the cemetery of Darwin, I wanted to
write nothing more than a few words of me, as a simple soldier and human being,
to you, his loving sister.
I wanted to contact
you personally because this message comes from my heart and is directed to your
heart; a great heart that, although heavy at this moment, I hope, will find a
small place to keep my words forever.
I try with
difficulty, to imagine what it must be like to have lost a brother. I have a
sister whom I love deeply, more than words can convey, my world would be
destroyed if I lost her. Therefore, putting myself in your position is not too
difficult. I did exactly that many years ago when I was standing next to
Eduardo on the wind-swept western slopes of Mount Longdon in the freezing cold.
I was alone. I've never been so lonely.
I thought about your
mother, because every child has a mom. I thought of my mother. I did not know
you existed, but I thought you loved him. I wrapped his body and covered it
would not suffer damages and I called a chaplain and a piper to join us ; your
brother and me. The piper touched a lament, slow melancholy. The chaplain
blessed Eduardo and I said a simple prayer in his language. A few months later
I went back to pick him up and take him to Darwin Cemetery and let him rest in
grave B.3.16.
I did not know who
Eduardo was, I did not know he had a mom, a father and other people who loved
him. And, as time passed, and my own son became a strong young man and reached
the age of 19, I loved Eduardo even more, him and all his friends.
You have been a tower
of strength for so many relatives, providing guidance, assistance and love. I
hope that now most of them will soon know where their loved ones rest.
I live with the hope
of one day being able to meet you, your mother and your family, nothing would
fill my heart with such profound and tranquil joy.
A big hug accompanied
by the most sincere kiss ever given, from one person to another without knowing
her.
Geoffrey
(Kindly submitted by María Fernanda Araujo)
References:
1-Cavanna, Joaquin-35 años
después, una madre recuperó los objetos de su hijo caído en Malvinas: ¨Hoy
Eduardo volvió a nacer-INFOBAE-Diciembre
6 de 2017.
https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2017/12/06/35-anos-despues-una-madre-recupero-los-objetos-de-su-hijo-caido-en-malvinas-hoy-eduardo-volvio-a-nacer/
2-Cociffi, Gaby-La historia del
oficial inglés que hizo el cementerio de Malvinas: ¨Enterré a los soldados
argentinos con respeto y honor¨
https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2017/06/20/la-historia-del-oficial-ingles-que-hizo-el-cementerio-de-malvinas-enterre-a-los-soldados-argentinos-con-respeto-y-honor/
3-Farmer,
Ben- Army officer returns to
Falkland Islands 35 years on, to help identify fallen Argentine troops –The Telegraph-2 Jun 2017. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/02/army-officer-returns-falkland-islands-35-years-help-identify/
4-Pardo,
Daniel-"Todo esto es mi
culpa": Geoffrey Cardozo, el soldado británico que 35 años después de
construir el cementerio en Malvinas / Falklands asesorará la exhumación de
soldados argentinos sin nombre.
BBC
Mundo 19 junio 2017. http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-40310108
5-Stauffer,Caroline- Scientists aim to identify remains of Argentine soldiers on Falklands-World News-June 1 2017.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-argentina-britain-falklands/scientists-aim-to-identify-remains-of-argentine-soldiers-on-falklands-idUSKBN18S63I
Geoffrey Cardozo and the author-Buenos Aires-March 22, 2019
