THOUSANDS of pounds has been raised to help pay care home costs for an SAS Iran Embassy siege hero after The Sun urged readers to donate.
A fundraiser to help Sekonaia ‘Tak’ Takavesi last night passed £48,000.
The hero’s military pension and contributions from family and the local authority do not cover the fees for his specialist care[/caption]
Sekonaia ‘Tak’ Takavesi’, circled, and SAS comrades swoop on the Iranian Embassy in 1980[/caption]
Tak said: “I am so grateful to Sun readers for digging deep and helping me out.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity.”
We reported yesterday that friends of the former Staff Sergeant, 81, had launched the appeal as his military pension and family and council contributions do not cover the care.
Fiji-born Tak was one of 20 troopers who stormed the Iranian embassy in West London in 1980 to end a six-day armed siege — rescuing all but one of the 19 hostages.
How to donate
To donate to Tak’s Just Giving page scan the QR code.
He also served in Oman, the Falklands and in the Iraq War, where he was shot in the head, chest and thigh.
His wife, Mandy, said: “Tak has a traumatic brain injury, which caused early onset dementia.
“We have been left struggling to pay for care.”
She called on the government to improve long-term care provisions for veterans.
The Ministry of Defence said: “We value our service personnel. Veterans who have injuries caused by their service can receive the compensation they’re entitled to.”
WHEN WAS THE IRANIAN EMBASSY SIEGE & WHAT HAPPENED?
The Iranian embassy siege took place from April to May of 1980.
Panic was sparked when, on April 30, six gunmen took 26 people, including staff, a police officer and members of the public, hostage inside the embassy building.
The group demanded release of prisoners in the Iranian province of Khuzestan as part of a campaign for regional independence, as well as transport out of the UK.
Five hostages were released over the next few days after negotiations with police.
But it was decided by ministers that the gunmen’s full list of demands could not be met.
Instead, the SAS would conduct a raid on the building to rescue the remaining hostages under the name Operation Nimrod.
Two teams of commandos stormed the building on the evening of May 5, abseiling from the roof and using gas grenades to clear the building.
Five of the six gunmen were killed and all except one of the remaining 21 hostages were rescued.
The final gunman, Fowzi Bedavi Nejad, spent 27 years in prison before being granted parole in 2008.
A number of the hostages signed a petition asking for his release, saying he “has been punished” and could not return to Iran as he would be shot “as soon as he got off the plane”.
It is believed he now lives somewhere in South London under a new name.
The siege was the first time the SAS had been brought to public attention, with the service reporting a surge in applications in its wake.
It also inspired films including 1982’s Who Dares Wins and even a Tom Clancy video game.
