THE parents of an Oxfordshire soldier serving in Afghanistan have urged everyone to “do the decent thing” and remember Britain’s war dead tomorrow.

Steve and Sarah Radband’s 23-year-old son David is on his first tour of duty in the Central Asian country with the Parachute Regiment.

Pte Radband, who has been a soldier for six years, is expected home at the end of the month, when his unit completes its six-month overseas tour.

Last night his parents urged Oxfordshire people to use Armistice Day and the two-minute silence as a way of educating the young about the horrors of war.

Bampton parish councillor Mr Radband, 47, said: “I would urge people, as a matter of respect, to spend a little time to stop and think about what the day is for.

“People need to explain to youngsters what it all means and what war memorials are there for.

“They’re there to recognise people who made the ultimate sacrifice – they’re there to be cherished.”

Mr and Mrs Radband have hung a Union flag bearing the Parachute Regiment emblem on the family home to salute the bravery of their son and his colleagues.

Mr Radband added: “In the past six months we have been to five funerals – all David’s mates – because he couldn’t be there.

“We saw one lad at a funeral and three weeks later we were attending his – he had been in Afghan-istan for 72 hours and was killed.”

Mrs Radband, 44, the clerk of Bampton Parish Council, said she used Facebook to keep in touch with her son, a past pupil at Bampton Primary School and Burford School.

She added: “You have to tell your son every day that you love him, because you have this notion in your head that perhaps it might be the last time you speak to him.

“Every day that I talk to David, I always finish with ‘I love you lots’ – and he just says, ‘Mum, I will be fine’.

“We sit and worry about him every day. Facebook has become my lifeline to David, as it’s an easy way to communicate with him.”

Mr Radband added: “David has said that if anything happened to him, he doesn’t want us to go moaning and groaning about it.

“He has always said he wasn’t made to join the Army, it was his choice.

“He has gone out to Afghanistan because he signed up to join the Army – not to sit behind a desk.

“These young soldiers don’t get the respect they deserve – especially from people their own age.

“Youngsters don’t realise what these young lads go through and that’s why tomorrow we should all do the decent thing and remember them — remember them all.”

Oxford’s Lord Mayor has called on the city to pay silent tribute to the fallen at 11am tomorrow.

Mrs Clarkson said: “We’re lucky to live in this country – and that’s something that really struck me on a recent visit to Poland where I was a guest in Bydgoszcz, one of the first towns to be taken over by the Nazis.

“A large Jewish population there totally disappeared.

“We complain about all sorts of things, but we’re lucky to be able to go about our daily lives without any bloodshed or interruption here in Oxford.

“We live in a democracy with a variety of different faiths and political views and we’re all basically enjoying living in peace.

“That’s why on Wednesday we should all spend a few minutes thinking of the people who have died in our name in order that we have all been able to enjoy a peaceful life here in Oxford.

“We know there are many other places that haven’t been so lucky.”