ANZAC Day

Today my heart is heavy, as it is our ANZAC day, and my small town has been turned into a media circus as we have just lost our first soldier to die in Iraq - which I know pales besides the losses other countries have taken. But needless, on this day we did not need satellite dishes running all over this tiny town as we are trying to remember our war dead with appropriate respect.

So here are two pictures which, for me, sum up those who are forgotten in War.

Louie Riggall was from near where I live, and died of fever while working at a hospital in France in World War I. This memorial was given to the local services league by her family, when the local memorial committee would not include her on the memorial. Why? She was a VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) with the British Red Cross, and she was not considered to be "enlisted". We also lost a second nurse in World War II - our country lost so few nurses, for an area to lose one in each war in unknown elsewhere. That memorial can be seen HERE.

The other photo comes from the cemetery just up the road from here.

I have always said I don't believe Annie would have been happy to have given her sons - I knew the last one late in life. And this town knows loss - we do not need a media circus as well.

I have finished the second Wogga block, but my Heart is heavy, so I will post it tomorrow.