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Is this insulting to the war dead??

Posted: Mon 23 Apr, 2007 6:37 pm
by Josh
On a long weekend, I look at the war memorial as I come back into my village, it's covered in flowers and wreaths etc. Fearing the worst (that someone I know has met their fate somewhere sandy) I ask the driver whats it was all about. She replied it was a fisherman who went to sea and never came back?! Now whilst I am sorry for their loss, at best this fella served and it is just inapropiate to place the commemorations on a memorial for war dead. However at worst this is a massive misjugement by people who have had the conceit to assume their personal loss, whilst tragic outranks the sacrifice of so many.

Am I being harsh or is this 'display' out of line??

Posted: Mon 23 Apr, 2007 7:06 pm
by Tab
Now young man what have you done about it, a letter to the local paper prehaps, or may be a word with your RBL, failing that the CWC

Posted: Sat 28 Apr, 2007 12:13 pm
by Josh
Good point Tab, when I get home this weekend I will get on it. Excuse my ignorrance but what is CWC?

Posted: Sat 28 Apr, 2007 4:39 pm
by Tab
CWC.....Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Posted: Sat 28 Apr, 2007 4:46 pm
by harry hackedoff
This is a fair point, Josh. War Memorials are supposed to be in-violate. Down here we have just had a fight with one local council who want to grab the land around a State Memorial for residential and retail use because it occupies the best site in their borough. For years they had neglected their obligations to maintain the site. Graffiti everywhere, people climbing over the monuments wedding parties being photographed laying on the Memorials etc.
Then two ( Pommy) Members of the RSL( like RBL) said "enough". They wound up the local residents and got the council to realise they won’t get their way. We know what their plan is and we will thwart them at every step. The particular Memorial honours Australian War Dead but also is home to many other Nationalities Memorials. Each of which is aware of the hidden agenda and will fight to keep the Memorial as it was intended to be.
Point is, if the two old boys hadn’t bothered their arses the large park surrounding the Memorial would now be full of yuppy apartments, bistros and cafe society wannabees.
If people don`t get involved, even at the smallest level, then the Respect for what these Memorials actually stand for will be lost.

Over in Tasmania, the ANZAC Day Dawn Service featured two miners who were trapped in a gold mine collapse. Their mate was killed, they were rescued after several days. Very sad, a tragic loss for the bloke`s family. But absolutely fark-all to do with Remembrance.Same as your fisherman.

Tab means the Commonwealth War Graves Commision, not sure if it`s their part of ship though? :-? Ask the Legion, they`ll know.

Posted: Thu 10 May, 2007 7:17 pm
by Tab
Now while this topic has been going on I saw a shot of yellow ribbons being tied around a war memorial for the little girl that is missing in Portugal. Now is going to be a thing that the War Memorial is going the grief or concern centre in this modern world where so few people just do not know the the meaning of these memorials as so many generations just have not lost any one in a conflict

Posted: Thu 10 May, 2007 7:47 pm
by got1
I won't embarrass the town, but my wife put some flowers on the war memorial which has her father's name on it. She was waiting for me while I had been away fishing and had gone for a wander round the town.
She told me what she had done and I went for a look, some barsteward had pinched the flowers whithin 1 hour of them being laid. :evil:

Posted: Sat 12 May, 2007 8:54 pm
by BigStevie
Tab I'll admit that when I read this topic at first I thought it a bit harsh, but after seeing those pictures of the mis-use of the Rothley memorial I am inclined to agree with the comments above.

Yellow ribbons on a cenotaph? An gesture recognised as meaning 'bring them home' on a memorial to the dead?

It's grotesque. Surely placing these tributes outside the young girl's home would have been a more suitable and powerful image for the press.

Once again the Fallen are being mis-used for other's purposes, only to fade back into obscurity after the need has passed.