"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them."
Words that every New Zealander and Australian knows. There are few that haven't got a relation that either fought or lost their life in one of the wars that our country's have fought in. They deserve to be, and in my humble opinion, must be remembered! For not only their service but also for their sacrifice. None who have not witnessed the horrors of battle can truely relate to what has been experienced by our soldiers.
Which brings me to my next statement. Whilst we should never forget those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for their Country, we still need to ensure that those of our soldiers that make it home are given any and all support that they require. I have read too many times where an ex-soldier has suffered PTSD and been kicked to the curb and deemed no longer needed so no longer to be cared for. I have also lost a few friends, who, having felt there was no one they could turn to in their time of need, have ended up taking their own lives.
One of my friends and collegues, who served as a medic in Afghanistan, still suffers PTSD, and I am thankful that he is still able to utilise the medical services through the government as a ex-soldier. As an ex NZ police officer, through a governmental scheme, should I ever need it, I have free psychiatric services for life. I would love to hear that that is the case for all ex service personnel too.
I guess the point of my rambling is that, whilst we can never forget those that have fallen in War, we should never forget those that still suffer as a result of it.
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