Too quiet on the Armistice Day front
‘‘There were 17,000 dead New Zealanders in that conflict.’’
An RSA president is becoming increasingly frustrated that New Zealanders are not giving Armistice Day the attention he says it deserves.
Each year on November 11 at 11am, people throughout the world gather to remember the moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front in 1918, following the signing of an armistice between the Allies and Germany.
Yesterday, about 70 people attended an Armistice Day service at a South Invercargill memorial.
Awarua RSA president Ian Beker thanked those who attended and said we should never forget the sacrifice that many people made. He was worried not enough was being done to publicise and commemorate the occasion.
Beker would like the Government to put a similar emphasis that Allies – such as Canada and Britain and others – put on acknowledging the milestone date.
‘‘There were 17,000 dead New Zealanders in that conflict. That alone should be enough to tell us; ‘hey, we don’t forget’,’’ Beker said.
‘‘We’ve got 17,000 good reasons to remember them.’’
The event was also an opportunity to reflect on casualties across various other conflicts. For Beker, it was personal. He himself served and when he laid a wreath on Armistice Day he thought of his 37 dead comrades from Vietnam.
He also thought about how lucky his son was to survive while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq during his deployment.
On top of that, his father went to World War II, and a grandfather served in World War I.
‘‘We’ve got four generations in uniform from 1916, and I think my granddaughter is joining the air force next year which will make it five.’’
There was a mixture of members of the public, veterans, and relations of those who have served among the 70 in attendance at south Invercargill yesterday.
Included was 90-year-old Jim Gibson, who spent 1951 and 1952 in Korea.
Gibson, who spent his 21st birthday on the frontline, said Armistice Day was important for him as he, too, reflected on the people he knew who did not come home.
‘‘I remember the fellas that were killed in Korea, that’s what it’s all about . . . Over the years we’ve lost some good friends.’’