For one veteran, his war didn’t end in Iraq, and now, with VE Day fast approaching, this Liphook veteran is urging people not just to remember the fallen – but to protect the living.

Alan Stapleton, 41, served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers from 2000 to 2007, including a brutal tour in Iraq where he came face to face with the true cost of conflict. Now, after overcoming PTSD and the devastating loss of friends, he has raised more than £550 for mental health charity Combat Stress by running 50 miles through March – and is going the extra mile again with a half marathon in Leeds on April 20.

“Some of the things I saw – you’re trained to carry a gun, but nothing prepares you for the scars of war,” said Alan, who now lives in Liphook and plans to rejoin the army as a reservist. “I was prepared to do my job as a mechanic and engineer, but then people start shooting at you and dropping mortars, and there’s no shelter – you just have to cross your fingers and hope it lands somewhere else. You’re just a six-man team out there, so you’re seriously vulnerable.

“You push through the stress at the time, but it all builds up.”

The turning point came nearly ten years after leaving the service. “I was at a Remembrance parade in Grayshott – the service had ended, and I was just sat there in tears. I realised something was really wrong.”

Alan said: “I was in a really bad place, drinking a lot and starting to get into trouble – and help was hard to come by.”

He moved to New Zealand for a fresh start and began to rebuild.

“Combat Stress has been a big part of that. They stepped in when support was lacking – and their work saves lives.”

Alan’s no stranger to loss – his best friend Dean John was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and Andrew Bowman died in a training accident. He also lost a close friend, Daz, to suicide – another former serviceman.

“He seemed fine. Happy. But no one asked if he was okay. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to save someone.”

Mental health is still a taboo topic in the military, says Alan – and often overlooked when support is most needed.

“There’s this macho mindset. But young men are putting everything on the line – their bodies and their minds – and too often, it’s ignored.”

His mission now is clear: raise awareness, fund vital services, and reach veterans before it’s too late.

“These things are chronically underfunded. Even a £1 donation could help. I just want to shine a light on a charity that helped me get my life back.”

To donate to Alan’s fundraiser for Combat Stress, visit: https://givestar.io/gs/leeds-running-festival--april-2025-47941