AS the 60th Anniversary of D-Day approaches we ask your readers to spare a thought for genuine war veterans who choose not to belong to Veteran Associations: their voice is seldom, if ever, heard.
My father survived the entire Siege of Malta, on small arms, air and coastal defence where he suffered malnutrition in one of the most heavily bombed areas of World War Two. Later he was among the initial infantry assaults to invade Sicily, Italy and Normandy D-Day (Gold Beach).
Each invasion was followed by ferocious inland battles. He was awarded an impressive array of medals that he has never worn.
After World War Two, ex-servicemen who experienced continuous front line action for the full six years generally wanted nothing more to do with militarism. Joining Veteran Associations would have been unthinkable. The mass media's obsession with stereotyping all war veterans as keen regimental patriotic association members discriminates and excludes many ex-service people, similar to my father, who have no interest in being part of a group or becoming regimental exhibitionists.
Due to this narrow view, I believe a lot of real issues are overshadowed such as how the children of veterans who suffered severe shell shock appear to be affected. It is as relevant today, with the Iraq war, as with World War Two. Studies have been conducted in The Netherlands and Australia regarding this subject. There is also a fair amount of evidence, from survivors such as my father, that unfit men may have been deliberately kept in the front line to hasten their demise to enable the government to save on post war welfare costs. Sadly, these issues remain hidden in UK history, but less so overseas.
I will be talking about this and much more on Australia's Radio 2GB on Saturday, June 5, 2004, from 5pm onwards (GMT). The programme can be heard in the UK via the internet on www.2gb.com and I invite your readers to listen in and take part, especially war veterans.
Similar programmes are planned in other English speaking countries so please check our website on www.warveteran.co.uk for further details.
who feel alienated by the UK mass media's regimental keen patriot image that is incessantly projected to the masses. Similar programmes are planned in other English speaking countries so please check our website on www.warveteran.co.uk for further details.
Chris Powis (veteran's son)
Rosedale
Cheshunt
Waltham Cross
Herts
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