When I was younger I remember going to an Easter Sunday service and being told, if you ask for one wish, any wish in the world, what would it be.

We were then asked to write it down on a piece of paper, fold it up and drop it in a bowl of water; they would eventually unfold, revealing everyone’s wishes.

I saw an elderly woman write down, ’stop all the wars in the world’, now I can’t remember what I wrote, but all I could think about was what that woman had put, because I felt selfish for wishing for something meaningless and not using my wish for the good of others.

My dad also wrote the exact same thing as the woman. I was confused because I thought all the main wars were over, but there were so many still existing.

The poppy appeal was used as a way of remembrance for all the troops in the world wars; that is why we have Remembrance Sunday. But now the appeal is not just about ex servicemen and women, but also current troops, and remembering those in most recent wars such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are so many soldiers killed in Afghanistan, since the operation to destroy the organisation of Al-Qaeda began in 2001. Soldiers from the North East have died, leaving families behind so they could fight for the safety of our country and sacrifice themselves to save others.

My cousin’s both enrolled into the army, and they are a bit of a jack the lad so they would fit in well, but with one of them joining my uncle to fight this war, and being sent to Afghanistan you would think I would be worried.

Actually I thought nothing of it, as my uncle has been part of the army for years, since his teens.

But turning on the television to find that yet another soldier was killed in the place where your family are, devours you into a deep hole of depression.

Constantly panicking over the possible consequences furthered my desperation to speak to them and know they were both alright.

My cousin was only 20 and to die at such a young age would be devastating.

Thankfully they were only in Afghanistan for a short period of time but it felt like a lifetime.

To my relief they came back safe and sound, almost cheery, but they stuck together and fought to make Afghanistan more secure, but most importantly make Britain safer from the terrorism and extremism that continues to threaten us.

Their courage to go to the frontline and battle for our rights, proving their determination to allow the hero to shine through.

The many lives lost, with servicemen leaving a wife and children behind to defend for themselves, as the young and naive die in battle in their teens, before even having chance to start a family.

As news reaches me that another soldier from the North East has been killed, the panic of how I felt when my family were there resurfaces, as I shake my head in despair.

The troops deserve the best support and need to be fully equipped to win this fight, but as we all know, when this war eventually ends, it definitely won’t be the last.

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