Podcast

Some voices rarely get heard, even when they should.

We often tell the stories of medals and battles, and rightly so. But the stories of families, the children growing up in the aftershocks of those awe-inspiring acts, are rarely spoken about.

The pictures below tell my story better than words alone: the pride, the distance, the aftershocks, and the journey of finding healing with my own family.

My dad served as a bomb disposal expert in Northern Ireland, my brother and mum also served, and I grew up with both pride and the ripples of that service, along with the confusion of distance and the quiet heartache of the things that get left unsaid.

Over time, I’ve been learning how to face those ripples to protect my own family, finding ways to talk about what was buried, and to create more connection for the next generations.

That’s why being invited onto the Shaping Portsmouth podcast really mattered to me. I said yes straight away, because it was a chance to share a perspective that often gets missed when we talk about the impact of service: the ripples on families, the children who lived with service, and its aftershocks into adulthood, in all their complexity.

These stories may not make headlines, but they shape lives across generations.

Have a listen to the podcast hosted by the brilliant Andy Moss. I’d love to hear your thoughts, and why you think these stories are so often kept in silence. For me, speaking up feels like putting my head above the parapet… but it also feels important enough to take that risk.

Podcast link here👉 https://shapingportsmouth.co.uk/podcast/episode-57-armed-forces-community-sue-oatley/