AS the 30th anniversary marking the end of the Falklands conflict passes, one Ross family has more cause for reflection than most. It was on the last day of the conflict that John Jenkins' son, Tim, just 19, was killed on Mount Longdon.

When the news of the end of teh war reached Ross, John remembers hearing people celebrating near his home in Tudorville. "At last they're bringing the boys back," he recalled saying. However, any celebrations in the Jenkins household were swiftly brought to an end with the dreaded knock at the door when the family were told the news of Tim's death.

Today, John and his wife, Jean, maintain strong links with other Falkland veterans and family associations. Trevor Bradshaw, a former Para, who fought alongside Tim in the South Atlantic conflict, has "become like a son," said Jean. Like John he has never forgotten 19-year-old Tim and, to honour his memory, recently returned to the Falklands and created his own memorial close to the spot where Tim died. In October John and Margaret will make their own visit to the Islands and Mount Longdon.

John and Jean's link to Tim's former regiment remain as strong as ever. Major Paul Keeson, who also fought alongside Tim in the Falklands, is still in the regiment 30 years on, invited John and Margaret to his recent wedding.

John, himself a former para trooper and member of the SAS, talks fondly of the young Tim wanting to follow "in his dad's footsteps. We used to go on training runs," said John, "often with bricks in his haversack!" Tim eventually joined his dad's old regiment and platoon – the 3rd Paras.

In March, John and Jean went to the unveiling of the new Falklands Memorial at the National Arboretum, serving as a reminder that: "It really is up to us to keep these boys' memories alive. Our young should be educated about it," said John.

Current overatures by the Argentinian president on Falkland sovereignty leave John unmoved. "It was the right thing to do. Although my son was killed, it was the right thing. They had a job to do and they were proud to do it."

The Falklands Memorial can be visited at the National Arboretum near Tamworth. The Allied Special Forces Memorial, also at the National Arboretum, is a 'Falklands Orchard' in honour of the fallen, and a plaque is soon to be unveiled remembering Goose Green.