A son of Southland

Many years ago doing genealogy l researched my grandfather for World War I. He died aged at the landing at Gallipoli, April 25, 1915. Killed beside him was a son of Invercargill, L/Sergeant William Alexander Hamilton, aged 22, who had enrolled with the Canterbury Infantry Battalion as he was working in Ashburton at that time. William was the eldest son of William Hamilton, 270 Crinan St, Invercargill, and had attended South School as a boy.

I found it sad that he does not appear to be recognised on any memorial in his home town. I tried unsuccessfully to find his relatives at the time thinking this an injustice.

So on Anzac Day I will remember this brave young man whose grave l have visited and who is buried beside my grandfather at Walkers Ridge in Turkey. I just hope one day his home town will choose to honour him as well. It is annoying that we often undermine the respect that is owing to those defence force personnel who stand in harm’s way to protect our values and New Zealand lifestyle.

Some folk think any war is futile. Others think we should not be engaged in wars just because the UK, Australia and the US are engaged. Or that we should be like other Pacific Island countries and just stay away from any conflict. And I respect their view that wars fighting communism, Nazism, radical Islamic movement etc in foreign shores are not for us.

For me, this is not what Anzac Day is about. This day is to remember those who stood in harm’s way, at the bequest of our government of the time. Some did not return, other returned with physical and psychological damage.

My tour of duty in Vietnam (as a navy medic) was cut short when Norman Kirk honoured his preelection policy of withdrawing New Zealand troops. We were advised of protesters before we landed back in Whenuapai and were told not to show our combat uniforms or our medals for a good while.

I was so annoyed at that lack of respect that I destroyed both medals and uniform. For 30 years, I kept things to myself but I have now received replacement medals and wear them with pride.

So, don’t discredit those who do their duty just because you don’t believe we should be in a war zone. Target the political decisionmakers and not those who stand in harm’s way.

I still believe we should confront evil where ever it exists in the world. Environment Southland’s proposed rate rise of 7.74 per cent is totally unrealistic.

In Victoria the incoming state government has advised all councils that any proposed rate rise should not exceed the consumer price index.

The community should demand that the council’s expenditure should be restricted to no more than $250 million out of their proposed $334.4m.

Then the proposed rate rise would be much closer to CPI. Oh dear. Our ponytail-pulling leader is asking us to accept that his antics at a Parnell cafe following the election and since, are just a matter of high spirits and harmless fun that take place regularly when he visits the said cafe. No harm done, a Key smile and a shrug and it will all be forgotten. At least he made a belated apology to the young lady probably when he realised his behaviour had gone global.

This is just another event that seriously calls into question his judgment. Please try to save us from further embarrassment Mr Key. This is not just plain fun, so stop trying to pretend it is. When there’s a media beat-up over some deliberately stupid act of the PM, shouldn’t we ask ourselves what they are trying to distract us from noticing? I suggest it’s the headline that the New Zealand Government supplied $17 million in financial support for Team Oracle’s subsidiary company in Auckland . . . while Team NZ was denied continued backing. So what’s that all about? So far the distraction technique has worked, it would seem, with total under-reporting of the facts that are important.