Commentary
Artifacts have a way of reminding us who we are. Family relics handed from one generation to the next can acquire considerable sentimental value.
This may be why I developed a curious attachment to a Royal Navy Ensign from a unique British warship. The flag once flew proudly over the recently dismantled HMS Bristol, a Type 82 destroyer and the only vessel of her class ever to be built for the Royal Navy.
The Bristol was launched on June 30, 1969, and remained in service until Oct. 28, 2020. She had a long and distinguished history.
In the summer of 1982, when Great Britain resolved to rescue a small population of Falkland islanders from the grip of a South American military dictator, HMS Bristol led a Royal Navy group of reinforcement ships into the South Atlantic….