War Memorial Debate is Half Baked

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The SAS regiment is based in WA. Should dead SAS soldiers have their names engraved on the WA state war memorial? Not according to the RSL... And people are jumping up and down as a result of this ruling.

Has anyone considered the reasons for this RSL ruling?

Soldier X enlists in NSW. He transfers to the SAS in WA. His family follows him. Soldier X dies in action. His name will be engraved on the NSW state war memorial... where his WA-based family will hardly ever see it.

Is this an example of entrenched stupidity based on narrow-minded adherence to tradition?

Or... are there many sensible reasons behind the ruling... Reasons which widows, journalists and other opinion-staters have failed to consider.

I'm only guessing. To me, my guesses are reasonable. At least I'm trying to consider the 80-year-old reasons for the current "tradition".

Before we try to force the RSL into change, let's look at the complexities around a "simple" decision...

Simple equity

Soldier X was based -- for several years -- in WA. His widow and family continue to live in WA. It would be nice if the family could go to their own state war memorial to read the name of Soldier X.

But what about

Parents of Soldier X still live in NSW. Brothers, sisters, cousins... all still live in NSW. Wouldn't it be nice if that part of the family could go to their own state war memorial to read the name of Soldier X?

Lives have changed

Now that Soldier X has been killed, his wife and family may miss the rest of their extended family. After all, the wife also came from NSW and has her own family in NSW. She may also like to have the children grow up with both sets of grandparents -- plus all the other NSW relatives. With Soldier X now dead, life for the wife is lonely in WA. Five years on, back in NSW -- will the wife wish that her husband's name were engraved on the NSW state war memorial?

People move on

After a few lonely years, the wife sets up home in Queensland. Wouldn't it be nice to have her late husband's name engraved on her now-local Queensland state war memorial?

Is this relevant

Then the SAS regiment could be moved to Victoria. I'm not sure that that's of any relevance. But at least one letter-write mentioned this possibility.

It's all very easy to support a grieving widow's request for a "simple" change to long-standing rules. Let's hope that the RSL considers all aspects of the situation before making a change. Perhaps they could explain the rule rather than simply say, It's the rule. Let's wish that other people considered the reasons behind a rule before they jumped up and down.

While we're at it, let's wish for peace on earth and goodwill to all.

Good luck.

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