Overdue recognition
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IT’S been a long, long campaign but are the latest developments too little too late?
For years family members of World War Two veterans have been campaigning without success to have the names of Lithgow men who died in World War Two added to the memorial in Queen Elizabeth Park.
There are the names of those who died in World War One and Korea, and the names of all local veterans who served in Vietnam.
But nowhere in Lithgow is there recognition of those who paid the ultimate price in World War Two. Initially the resistance by the RSL was based on a stated concern about not all names being available.
But an extensive file has been compiled by lobbyists Lorraine Ryan and Janice Marshall.
A couple of years back there appeared to be some room for negotiation but that went nowhere.
Now the Lithgow RSL sub branch has invited interested parties to a meeting to seek a compromise.
But Lorraine Ryan says the years of frustration have taken their toll and her supporters now plan to go it alone and to seek approval from Lithgow Council to create a new World War Two monument.
“In this 70th anniversary year of the end of World War Two it’s an insult to their memory and to their families,” she said.
As a starting point the lobbyists are now seeking the names of monumental masons or qualified craftsmen interested in submitting a design and quote for the project.
They will go along to next week’s meeting but feel it will be a case of too little too late. (Interested craftsmen are invited to leave their contact details with the Lithgow Mercury.)