Letter: UN's task in the wake of D-Day

Sir: As a D-Day veteran 50 years ago, I was deeply moved by events on 6 June at the celebrations in Normandy and the remarkable ex-servicemen's parade on Sword Beach before Her Majesty the Queen. It was magnificent. We pay tribute to those who served in that historic event and those who lost their lives in ensuing battles.

We had to win the war to create the peace. Without an Allied victory in 1945 the UN would never have been created. I was seriously injured and captured by the Germans in Normandy on 20 June, and when I was near to death in a POW camp I vowed that if I lived, I would dedicate myself to the UN and the elimination of war.

There is a long way to go, but it is a miracle that the UN has survived and that in 1995 we will celebrate its 30th anniversary.

The preamble to the UN Charter starts with the words, 'We the peoples determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of War'. It is the hope of the United Nations Association that the effect of all the D-Day reminders will be to inspire people to rededicate themselves to the objectives and the work of the United Nations. That would fully justify the sacrifices made in war to build a peace.

Yours faithfully,

ENNALS

Vice-Chairman

United Nations Association

London, SW1

9 June