For most people, Anzac Day is for quiet reflection on the tragedies of war and to pay respect as a community to our service personnel.
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However, it appears that respect is lacking in some members of our community.
After attending the Anzac Day march and service in Bega, local woman Betty Lovelock dropped by the Boer War memorial to pay tribute to family members from that conflict as well.
“I arrived only to find the gate was broken and hanging off, while food, drink, paper containers and broken glass was on the memorial itself,” Ms Lovelock said incredulously.
The Boer War Memorial isn’t the most public of Bega’s memorials, tucked away in the little-used Bega Park.
And the Boer War (1899-1902) perhaps isn’t the most spoken about conflict, despite records showing about 16,000 Australians are believed to have fought in it.
According to the Australian War Memorial, 282 Australians died in action or from wounds sustained in battle, while 286 died from disease and another 38 died of accident or other unknown causes. Six Australians received the Victoria Cross.
“Maybe they weren’t Anzacs, but they were soldiers and surely deserve better!” Ms Lovelock says.
We agree.
Meanwhile, respect is also deserved in several other non-Anzac, but inherently related sectors.
Vietnam veteran and the “Frankie” who “kicked a mine the day mankind kicked the moon”, Frank Hunt was the guest of honour at Tathra’s service last week.
He put his survival of war down to the work and care of nurses – “the forgotten ones...our angels”.
He also fought hard after returning home on another front.
Rather than allowing soldiers to continue suffering the stigma of “shell shock” branding, it was the work of Vietnam vets like Frank that resulted in post traumatic stress disorder being officially recognised by the medical fraternity.
In Eden, it was Pastor Ossie Cruse who highlighted the involvement of Indigenous volunteers in Australia’s wars.
Those who returned from that honourable service were then often refused a beer in their local – good enough to fight and die for their country, but not to sit alongside white men at the bar.
Respect is due to all.