A former commando and Afghanistan veteran Capt Johnny Mercer MP was at Chepstow Bookshop today to sign copies of his book 'We Were Warriors'.
Johnny spent 10 years in the British Army and served three tours of Afghanistan, coming under fire on numerous occasions. He left the forces in 2013 and worked on a building site before becoming elected as a Conservative MP – despite never having previously voted in an election. He now sits as a member of the Defence Committee.
Speaking at the event in Chepstow, Johnny said: "I wasn’t hugely political until I left the Army but I wanted to get involved in politics and make a difference.
"I am particularly concerned about the welfare of those who are suffering physically and mentally as a result of experiences in combat and whose needs are not being properly addressed at the moment.
“I am also very concerned at the way in which historical allegations made against people who served in war zones are currently being dealt with.”
Monmouth MP David Davies, who arranged the visit, read Johnny’s book over the summer.
He added: "This was a brutally frank account of what modern day fighting entails.
"I thought it was important that people heard about it and I was delighted when Johnny agreed to come to Monmouthshire to speak about his experiences.”
Matt Taylor of Chepstow Books & Gifts said: "The book signing was a great success with a lot of books sold but we still have a few signed copies available if anyone would like to pick these up at the bookshop.”
*Service personnel and their families can call 0800 323 4444 for mental health help. Veteran's Gateway is a single point of contact for veteran support, just one of the many services provided for personnel who have left the forces.*