McKay VC: Untold story of the hero Para who sacrificed his life to help free the Falklands

Thirty years ago today Britain’s hastily assembled naval task force was on its way to ­recapture the Falkland Islands. The Argentine invasion – and our tough response – led to a savage conflict that cost the lives of 254 British servicemen. One of those courageous soldiers was Sergeant Ian McKay of the Parachute Regiment, who laid his life down in the push to liberate the islanders. His act of astonishing valour, single-handedly taking on an Argentine gun post, posthumously earned him the ultimate honour, the Victoria Cross. But until now his story has never been told. Here, for the very first time, his family and former comrades speak about the fears, inner struggles and hidden courage of this unassuming hero... Somehow, Ian McKay seemed to know the fate that awaited him on the freezing, windswept mountain. “Remember what I told you?” he said to a pal. “I’m not going to come back from this.” The premonition tragically came true. Little over three hours later, he was dead. Sgt McKay attacked an enemy machine-gun post alone, throwing himself into the Argentine trench with a ­grenade in his hand. Those who witnessed his last ­moments said he knowingly sacrificed his life to save theirs. His valour won swift praise. But as his widow Marica now reflects: “Ian would have wondered what all the fuss was about. He would probably have said he was only doing his job and that the award of the VC was not just for him but for ­everybody else as well.”Read more HERE  R.I.P.