Good afternoon.
The images that readily come to mind when one thinks of the Royal Air Forces Wings Appeal are usually associated with the Battle of Britain, when RAF soldiers stopped the German Luftwaffe’s bombing campaign and turned the tide of the 2nd World War.
Those RAF heroes included Jamaicans and others from the then British Empire. Many paid the ultimate sacrifice in securing the rights and freedoms that people around the world enjoy today and which we must treasure dearly.
World War II required the unity of the Allied Forces to prevent social and political oppression, as well as cultural and racial dominance by Hitler’s Nazis. Hundreds of thousands of brave men pledged their very lives to defend the defenseless in the affected countries.
Among those who were fortunate to experience the victory of the Allied Forces, were many who were disabled or scarred for life. There were also bereaved families who desperately needed support. This was the context for the creation of the RAF Association’s Wings Appeal.
Many of those servicemen and women who sacrificed so much for mankind are no longer with us, while remaining veterans are in the sunset of their lives. As a fitting tribute, their selfless, caring spirit lives on in serving members of the Royal Air Forces and also here in the Jamaica Defence Force Air Wing.
We are grateful to the Royal Air Forces Association Jamaica Branch for their undying efforts to advance the welfare of the servicemen and ex-service men across Jamaica. Each year, your Wings Appeal fundraiser allows Jamaicans to remember those who answered the call to combat, regardless of certain danger. They were there when humanity needed them and now it is our time to show our appreciation by donating to the RAFA’s Annual Wings Appeal.
So I commend the Royal Air Forces Association of Jamaica (580) Branch for your invaluable support of our serving and ex-servicemen. Your action is a symbol of friendship and duty of care which we can all emulate.
I extend best wishes for a successful fund-raising event.