UK: Not Even A Penny For British D-Day Veterans

From the "what-have-you-done-for-us-lately" school of gratitude, the UK government finds something better to do than honor its few remaining D-Day veterans' hopes to attend the upcoming 65th anniversary of the beginning of the Liberation of Europe:

Second World War veterans have criticised as "disgusting" the Government's refusal to help them travel to France to attend the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

While America and Canada are paying for their veterans to travel to the event, British war heroes are having to stump up the cash themselves.

Thousands of them are hoping to travel to Normandy for the commemoration in June, which for many will be their last.

But the Ministry of Defence has told them that the next time public money will be used for a commemoration will be the 100th anniversary in 2044, when they will all be dead.

Bob Conway, 83, chairman of the Wiltshire branch of the Normandy Veterans' Association (NVA), said: "I think it's disgusting. Surely they can do something to help us old boys go over? We are pretty upset about it. We're all over 80 now and for many this will be the last time."

He and his comrades have taken to fund-raising in the cold in the middle of Trowbridge, where he lives.

He added: "It's a struggle to raise all the money we need but it's just a few thousand pounds. All our comrades from the US and Canada get their expenses paid for by their Governments but ours won't give us a penny."