WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
Every generation inherits remembrance in its own way. For some, it’s found in silence - heads bowed as the world stills for two sacred minutes. For others, it’s the rustle of medals, the distant sound of a bugle, or the smell of rain on parade grounds. And for many, it’s the laughter shared among old friends - the kind of laughter that breaks through grief like sunlight after storm clouds. Simon Weston CBE knows that feeling better than most.
Simon Weston CBE – A Toast To Absent Friends
Simon served in the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards from 1977 to 1985, years marked by service across Northern Ireland, Africa, Germany and finally, the Falklands Conflict - the moment that would alter his life forever. In 1982, when the RFA Sir Galahad was bombed during the conflict, Simon sustained severe injuries and burns that would change not only his appearance but his entire path forward. What followed was not just survival, but transformation - a long journey from soldier to symbol of resilience, and later to advocate, author, and tireless voice for veterans and recovery.
His story is not one of self-pity or bitterness, but of extraordinary courage and perspective. Simon often speaks of the comrades who lifted him, the community that refused to let him fall, and the gratitude that has defined his second life. “Remembrance to me is showing my respects, showing my honour… and just how much I loved those guys. They were so important.” His words are plainspoken, but they hold a rare kind of weight - the kind that comes from someone who has seen both the best and worst of humanity and still chooses to honour the good.
When Simon talks about remembrance, he doesn’t linger on tragedy; he talks about camaraderie - about the men who stood beside him, the shared jokes, the gallows humour that helped them survive, and the friendships that endured long after the smoke had cleared. For him, remembrance is not only about grief but about gratitude; it’s about raising a glass, telling a story, keeping the memories alive in laughter as much as in tears.
His 2025 Remembrance Coin design brings that idea to life. It depicts a group of veterans seated around a table, pints raised high in a moment of fellowship. Their faces are weathered but warm, united in a gesture that says more than words could. Behind them, in quiet contrast, lies a war cemetery - rows of white stones stretching into the horizon - a subtle yet powerful nod to those absent friends who will always be part of the conversation. The composition captures both sides of remembrance: the joy of shared memory and the shadow of loss.
Simon’s design reminds us that remembrance is not confined to the ceremonial - it lives in the everyday, in the simple act of gathering, of toasting, of remembering. It is both mourning and celebration, a delicate balance between honouring the dead and cherishing the living. In his eyes, remembrance is not about reopening wounds but about keeping faith - with those who never made it home and with those who still carry their stories forward.
Across the nation each November, that same spirit plays out in countless ways: friends meeting in local pubs after the service, strangers standing shoulder to shoulder in silence, families teaching children what the poppy means. It’s through these small, human acts that remembrance endures.
Simon’s story - and his design - reminds us that the bonds of service stretch far beyond the battlefield. They exist in the laughter between old comrades, the clink of glasses raised to absent friends, and the promise that we will never let their names fade.
