Don't let this break you: The last words of British paratrooper killed in Ukraine
"If you are reading this, it means I didn't make it home," the letter begins.
"Please don't let that be the thing that breaks you."
These are the last words of Lance Corporal George Hooley, a British paratrooper who was killed in a "tragic accident" while watching Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability.
On the day of his repatriation through Brize Norton, LCpl Hooley's family released a letter, written to them to be opened in the event of his death.
Made public by the Ministry of Defence, it expresses his pride at serving his country and fighting for his deeply held values of freedom and democracy.
Fellow Parachute Regiment soldiers in maroon berets, along with other serving personnel and members of the public, gathered yesterday at the Repatriation Memorial Garden in Carterton to pay their respects to LCpl Hooley, who was due to be promoted to corporal next month.
Standing in sombre silence for close to an hour, his regimental friends and colleagues bowed their heads as the cortège carrying his body paused for a moment before continuing its journey to John Radcliffe Hospital.
In the letter released by his family, LCpl Hooley spoke of his respect for the men he served alongside.
"You know I was doing what I believed in as well as loved, with people I respected, and for reasons that matter to me," he wrote.
"I was proud of what I was doing."
The Parachute Regiment soldier had previously deployed to Afghanistan, Africa, and eastern Europe. His company commander described him as someone who had a "deep kindness and genuine time for everyone".
"He provided spark that lifted others, a drive that inspired, and a zest for life that reminded us all how to live with purpose and joy. And we loved him for it."
A tribute released by The Oratory, the school he attended in Oxfordshire, described LCpl Hooley as a "much-loved member of the school community", adding that he had been a Colour Sergeant in the Combined Cadet Force and captain of the school shooting team before being selected for the Parachute Regiment.
The school intends to hold a memorial service in due course.
His letter concludes with a poignant message to his family, and to all those who read his final words.
"Don't remember me with sadness and loss. Be proud. I went out doing what I trained to do, what I chose to do, and I had all of you in my heart the whole way."
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