The National Museum of the Malvinaslocated in the Cordoban town of Oliva, launched a collection to be able to transfer and save from scrapping a Fokker F-28 that was used during the war, and that has “great historical value” because it is “the second national aircraft to land on the islands during the 1982 war” and the one that brought back the body of frigate captain Pedro Giachino, the first Argentine soldier killed during the conflict.
“The Fokker F-28 has a great historical value because it is the second machine that operated in Malvinas on April 2, 1982 and that, after a failed attempt due to gunfire, was able to land on the second attempt in Puerto Argentina. In that plane were transferred the first wounded from Malvinas, Corporal Ernesto Ismael Urbina, and the body of first soldier killed during the conflict in the islands, the captain of Frigate Pedro Edgardo Giachino“, he told in dialogue with Télam Gabriel Fioni, president of the Malvinas National Museum Foundation.
The Ministry of Defense and the Argentine Navy signed the transfer of the Fokker F-28 Mk 3000c aircraft, registration 5-T-20, on June 10, and now the Cordovan museum needs 3 million pesos to be able to disarm it and reassemble it in its final location.
“We are in the middle of the campaign to get the silver, we need to collect 3 million pesos and we already got 1.2 million“, stated Fioni, who organized the offer of 1,000 pesos bonds, which he sold until reaching the amount already collected, and continues.
The president of the foundation assured that the campaign was spread through the Museum’s social networks just 10 days ago and They have already received donations from Formosa, Viedma, Mar del Plata and Mendoza.
The first hero of April 2, 1982
The body of Giachino traveled on this plane, who was the first to die during the occupation of the islands and posthumously received the Cross of the Argentine Nation for Heroic Valor in Combat, since was killed while trying to obtain the surrender of Colonial Governor Rex Huntwhile the Argentine troops took the capital.
Finding that he could not bring about a British surrender, Giachino advanced alone into the governor’s house and, breaking down the door, he was wounded by a machine gun at close range, and Corporal Urbina was also wounded there. Both were flown to the mainland by F-18.
Also, according to Fioni, the aircraft was used to transport soldiers, including Milton Pablo Galíndez, who was originally from Oliva and survived the war, and died in 2001.
“A neighbor of Oliva who assembled the stretchers for the plane flights during the war He was the promoter of taking the plane to the museum. The plane is in Ezeiza collecting dust and was donated by the Argentine Navy for its placement in the exhibitions,” Fioni said.
The director of the museum explained to Télam that allThose people who donate for the transfer of the plane will have their names included in a plaque and a diploma will be given to each one in recognition.
“The Fokker F-28 we are looking to bring to the museum He also participated in the rescue mission on Borbón Island on June 1, 1982, guiding Navy helicopters up to 150 nautical miles from the islands, and accompanying several Navy and Air Force planes that were in emergency after attacking the British fleet,” Fioni explained.
The attack on Isla Borbón was a British offensive against Argentine positions, which took place between May 14 and 15, 1982. Isla Borbón is located off the north coast of Gran Malvina Island and is the largest in the archipelago, in her the Argentine forces had installed the Naval Air Station Calderón.
The Cordovan museum already has four war veteran combat planes, two helicopters, an amphibious vehicle and this last week they transferred a Puma SA330L helicopter donated by the Argentine Naval Prefecture to the museum.
For the transfer of the helicopter, and the Fokker, the transport from Ezeiza to Oliva is guaranteed, donated by the company Econovo totally free. “The objective is to enhance it, and I want to put it together as it was on the day of the landing,” said the olivense. Fioni also stated that they plan “make a patriotic caravan” along Route 9 until reaching Oliva.
Its final location will be in the Plaza del Museo, since “because of its size” it does not fit into the hangar that the institution has. “The F28, due to its size, is going to go outdoors in the Plaza, it does not suffer deterioration, neither because of the color nor because of the painting. The white color rejects the sun’s rays”, he described.
However, he assured that they will take the necessary measures for its conservation, and that they will include “polish it with a special paint” and that it will require some maintenance “every 10 to 12 years”.
The objective of the institution is to commemorate next April 2 with the imposing plane in the central square of the museum, which is located 100 kilometers from the capital of Cordoba.
