Tomás Ceferino Sills defines himself as a Malvinas combatant. He lives in Colón, Buenos Aires province, is married to Betty, and has two daughters, Julia and Bárbara.
Tommy, as everyone knows him, was born in San Antonio de Areco to Matilde, a rural teacher, and Tomás, a lifelong farmer. He is the first of four siblings and lived in the countryside since his childhood.
His adolescence began to bring him to the city of Colón, Buenos Aires. He completed his secondary education at the Ferré Salesian Agricultural School between 1976 and 1981.
LAS ISLAS MALVINAS
Tommy recalls: “On February 5, 1982, I began my military service,” and adds: “I went to our islands as a soldier in the 601st Combat Engineers Company, based in Campo de Mayo.”
The life of this Malvinas combatant was marked by the countryside. “In January 1985, I started working at the Morgan Seedbed, where I worked for 32 years, until the end of 2016.”
Today is April 2nd, a new April 2nd, and memories flood back to Tommy: “Like every year, emotionally, it’s still a complicated time for me. The Malvinas Islands are etched in my heart, and the fact that I’m a Veteran, that I was chosen by destiny to defend our homeland, at 19 years old at the time, makes me extremely proud.”
What were those days of waiting like?
– April 2nd, 1982, marked the recovery of our islands, and from then on, preparations began at the Regiment. There was a lot of uncertainty because it wasn’t known whether we would go or not. Until one afternoon, we received confirmation that our platoon was going to the Malvinas Islands.
How did you take it?
I knew we were heading for war; the British fleet had already set sail from the United Kingdom, and there was no turning back. Finally, that long-awaited day arrived in mid-April. We flew from El Palomar Air Base to Río Gallegos on an Air Force Boeing 707, and from there, on another smaller plane, a Boeing 737, to the Malvinas Islands. Then, in formation, we walked toward the outskirts of Puerto Argentino, in the western sector, about 4 kilometers from the airport.
What memory comes to mind?
The baptism of fire, as it’s called, was on May 1st. Going back to May 1st, that early morning was the day that forever marked my stay in the Malvinas Islands. I remember them shouting «RED ALERT… RED ALERT!!!» And that was synonymous with an air attack. The warning didn’t fail; they were the first British planes I saw fly by at very high speed. Their mission was to attack and destroy the airport runway, rendering it unusable. On May 2, we were informed that the ARA Crucero General Belgrano had been sunk, and that’s where the conscript soldier from this city, our hero Gerardo Marchisio*, died.
The nights were often cut short by the bombardment carried out by the British frigates. That whistling sound produced by the shells and then seeing the flash, hearing the explosion if it was close, are things I’ll never forget.
Among the hard memories, Tommy feels admiration for the Argentine pilots. But everything leads to the tragedy of war: «June 14th was the most difficult day and the one that brings back the most bitter memories, seeing so many wounded pass by from the early hours, as the troops were already retreating from the nearby hills. Their final bombardment came around noon; it was naval and with mortars from the ground. In the combat position I had, I was with my comrade Julio Campetella. I had no choice but to beg and pray to the Virgin of Lourdes that we wouldn’t get hit by a shell. The whistling of the bombs and the deafening explosion that followed were moments I will never forget and I consider them to be the greatest scar that the war left me with, the unexpected noises,» and he adds: «I was a prisoner of war for a few days in the airport sector and then I returned to the mainland on the hospital ship ARA Bahía Paraíso to Puerto Quilla in Santa Cruz, then in a Fokker F-28 aircraft they transferred us to Comodoro.» Rivadavia and from there on a Boeing 707 to El Palomar Air Base.”
The difficulties of the war were overcome by the emotion of seeing his parents and uncle again upon his return: “The joy and emotion of seeing them is indescribable.”
After a few days at home and in the countryside, he returned to the Regiment until his final discharge.
THE RETURN
Did you return to the Malvinas Islands?
Yes, thanks to my parents, I was able to return to our islands in September 2013. I went with my wife, and we were there for a week. It was a dream trip that helped me close the Malvinas cycle. I visited the place where I spent most of the war, the warehouse where we slept during the day (when we could), the airport where we landed, the port, the Argentine cemetery in Darwin, and places where the fighting was fierce. These are memories that will stay with me for life. We truly spent a week full of anecdotes and experiences; I brought back unforgettable memories.
YOUR STORY WITH CESTARI
“Thank God, I’ve had the opportunity to give talks at different schools about my experience in the Malvinas Islands, but I never imagined that one day Cestari would contact me, proposing that I share my experience as a combatant, on a date that is very important to me,” Tomás Sills tells us excitedly. He adds: “How proud I am, I thought, the same pride I feel when I see the Cestari self-unloading hoppers manufactured here in Colón and for the world around the country.”
What is your relationship with Cestari like?
I’ll try to summarize in a few words, which isn’t easy, my relationship with the Cestari brand, since I’ve always been connected to what I loved: THE ARGENTINE COUNTRYSIDE. Back in the 1980s, my uncle, his partner, and my brother Patricio, who worked with them, came to Colón. They came to buy their first self-unloading tractor. Nino and Néstor Cestari served them and then took them to see the factory. This is how the first Cestari hopper arrived at my childhood home.
Tommy becomes passionate and continues his story: “In 1985, I came to work at the Morgan Semillero. Obviously, all the hoppers used for transporting crops, the flat trailers, and the sheds for the field staff were Cestari.”
“Today, the contractors who work the two small fields that belonged to my father have Cestari self-unloading tractors attached to their harvesters. What more can I say?” he says in his friendly tone and thanks: “Thank you, Cestari family, for the space and for being a source of genuine work for this great city.”
Tomás Sills is a leading figure in the city of Colón and the region. His time in Malvinas Islands gave him new meaning, and from that experience, he has been able to draw lessons to rebuild his life. He is undoubtedly an example to all, and at Industrias Metalúrgicas Cestari, we wanted to recognize him on this heartfelt and special day for our country.
To conclude, we chose a quote in which Tomás Sills unites his two passions: «The same passion I feel for the Malvinas Islands is the same one I feel for our Argentine countryside, the indispensable engine of our beloved country.»
*Gerardo Marchisio was a Malvinas hero born in the city of Colón.
He fell with the sinking of the ARA General Belgrano in one of the most condemned war crimes in history.
Gerardo worked for a time at Industrias Metalúrgicas Cestari.
April 2 – Malvinas War Veterans and Memorial Day: The Tommy Sills Story
Tomás Ceferino Sills defines himself as a Malvinas combatant. He lives in Colón, Buenos Aires province, is married to Betty, and has two daughters, Julia and Bárbara.
Tommy, as everyone knows him, was born in San Antonio de Areco to Matilde, a rural teacher, and Tomás, a lifelong farmer. He is the first of four siblings and lived in the countryside since his childhood.
His adolescence began to bring him to the city of Colón, Buenos Aires. He completed his secondary education at the Ferré Salesian Agricultural School between 1976 and 1981.
LAS ISLAS MALVINAS
Tommy recalls: “On February 5, 1982, I began my military service,” and adds: “I went to our islands as a soldier in the 601st Combat Engineers Company, based in Campo de Mayo.”
The life of this Malvinas combatant was marked by the countryside. “In January 1985, I started working at the Morgan Seedbed, where I worked for 32 years, until the end of 2016.”
Today is April 2nd, a new April 2nd, and memories flood back to Tommy: “Like every year, emotionally, it’s still a complicated time for me. The Malvinas Islands are etched in my heart, and the fact that I’m a Veteran, that I was chosen by destiny to defend our homeland, at 19 years old at the time, makes me extremely proud.”
What were those days of waiting like?
– April 2nd, 1982, marked the recovery of our islands, and from then on, preparations began at the Regiment. There was a lot of uncertainty because it wasn’t known whether we would go or not. Until one afternoon, we received confirmation that our platoon was going to the Malvinas Islands.
How did you take it?
I knew we were heading for war; the British fleet had already set sail from the United Kingdom, and there was no turning back. Finally, that long-awaited day arrived in mid-April. We flew from El Palomar Air Base to Río Gallegos on an Air Force Boeing 707, and from there, on another smaller plane, a Boeing 737, to the Malvinas Islands. Then, in formation, we walked toward the outskirts of Puerto Argentino, in the western sector, about 4 kilometers from the airport.
What memory comes to mind?
The baptism of fire, as it’s called, was on May 1st. Going back to May 1st, that early morning was the day that forever marked my stay in the Malvinas Islands. I remember them shouting «RED ALERT… RED ALERT!!!» And that was synonymous with an air attack. The warning didn’t fail; they were the first British planes I saw fly by at very high speed. Their mission was to attack and destroy the airport runway, rendering it unusable. On May 2, we were informed that the ARA Crucero General Belgrano had been sunk, and that’s where the conscript soldier from this city, our hero Gerardo Marchisio*, died.
The nights were often cut short by the bombardment carried out by the British frigates. That whistling sound produced by the shells and then seeing the flash, hearing the explosion if it was close, are things I’ll never forget.
Among the hard memories, Tommy feels admiration for the Argentine pilots. But everything leads to the tragedy of war: «June 14th was the most difficult day and the one that brings back the most bitter memories, seeing so many wounded pass by from the early hours, as the troops were already retreating from the nearby hills. Their final bombardment came around noon; it was naval and with mortars from the ground. In the combat position I had, I was with my comrade Julio Campetella. I had no choice but to beg and pray to the Virgin of Lourdes that we wouldn’t get hit by a shell. The whistling of the bombs and the deafening explosion that followed were moments I will never forget and I consider them to be the greatest scar that the war left me with, the unexpected noises,» and he adds: «I was a prisoner of war for a few days in the airport sector and then I returned to the mainland on the hospital ship ARA Bahía Paraíso to Puerto Quilla in Santa Cruz, then in a Fokker F-28 aircraft they transferred us to Comodoro.» Rivadavia and from there on a Boeing 707 to El Palomar Air Base.”
The difficulties of the war were overcome by the emotion of seeing his parents and uncle again upon his return: “The joy and emotion of seeing them is indescribable.”
After a few days at home and in the countryside, he returned to the Regiment until his final discharge.
THE RETURN
Did you return to the Malvinas Islands?
Yes, thanks to my parents, I was able to return to our islands in September 2013. I went with my wife, and we were there for a week. It was a dream trip that helped me close the Malvinas cycle. I visited the place where I spent most of the war, the warehouse where we slept during the day (when we could), the airport where we landed, the port, the Argentine cemetery in Darwin, and places where the fighting was fierce. These are memories that will stay with me for life. We truly spent a week full of anecdotes and experiences; I brought back unforgettable memories.
YOUR STORY WITH CESTARI
“Thank God, I’ve had the opportunity to give talks at different schools about my experience in the Malvinas Islands, but I never imagined that one day Cestari would contact me, proposing that I share my experience as a combatant, on a date that is very important to me,” Tomás Sills tells us excitedly. He adds: “How proud I am, I thought, the same pride I feel when I see the Cestari self-unloading hoppers manufactured here in Colón and for the world around the country.”
What is your relationship with Cestari like?
I’ll try to summarize in a few words, which isn’t easy, my relationship with the Cestari brand, since I’ve always been connected to what I loved: THE ARGENTINE COUNTRYSIDE. Back in the 1980s, my uncle, his partner, and my brother Patricio, who worked with them, came to Colón. They came to buy their first self-unloading tractor. Nino and Néstor Cestari served them and then took them to see the factory. This is how the first Cestari hopper arrived at my childhood home.
Tommy becomes passionate and continues his story: “In 1985, I came to work at the Morgan Semillero. Obviously, all the hoppers used for transporting crops, the flat trailers, and the sheds for the field staff were Cestari.”
“Today, the contractors who work the two small fields that belonged to my father have Cestari self-unloading tractors attached to their harvesters. What more can I say?” he says in his friendly tone and thanks: “Thank you, Cestari family, for the space and for being a source of genuine work for this great city.”
Tomás Sills is a leading figure in the city of Colón and the region. His time in Malvinas Islands gave him new meaning, and from that experience, he has been able to draw lessons to rebuild his life. He is undoubtedly an example to all, and at Industrias Metalúrgicas Cestari, we wanted to recognize him on this heartfelt and special day for our country.
To conclude, we chose a quote in which Tomás Sills unites his two passions: «The same passion I feel for the Malvinas Islands is the same one I feel for our Argentine countryside, the indispensable engine of our beloved country.»
*Gerardo Marchisio was a Malvinas hero born in the city of Colón.
He fell with the sinking of the ARA General Belgrano in one of the most condemned war crimes in history.
Gerardo worked for a time at Industrias Metalúrgicas Cestari.