[Newsbot]

Title: Man digs up father's gravestone, plans to return war medals
Category: Military
Posted By: Strutz
Date: 2012-08-29 20:02:19
Canadian

[martin14]

Bit of a strange story, I did'nt know Veterans affairs is supposed to care for the graves of vets who died after the war.


However, the way in which most graves are treated is pretty depressing.
They do a much better job in Europe.

[Strutz]

martin14 martin14:

Bit of a strange story, I did'nt know Veterans affairs is supposed to care for the graves of vets who died after the war.


However, the way in which most graves are treated is pretty depressing.
They do a much better job in Europe.

You have mentioned that before as I recall.

[Brenda]

No offense, but this kind of says enough...

$1:

Fleming, who had a stroke in 2011,

If he felt so strong about it, why didn't he maintain it himself (or the family as a whole) and why didn't they bury his medals with his dad? Feeling entitled or something?
Your DAD is the vet, not you, Mr. Fleming...

I am assuming here that this Mr. Fleming is a strong willed, pig headed man, who wants everything his way, but does not want to lift a finger to get it done.

Also, I find it kind of strange that Veteran affairs are supposed to look after graves of veterans who died more than 40 years after active service. If they had died in combat, then maybe...

[PublicAnimalNo9]

martin14 martin14:

Bit of a strange story, I did'nt know Veterans affairs is supposed to care for the graves of vets who died after the war.


However, the way in which most graves are treated is pretty depressing.
They do a much better job in Europe.

I was blown away in Holland. The Canadian cemeteries there were immaculate. Even their own civvie cemeteries aren't as well taken care of, not that they looked dumpy or anything

[PublicAnimalNo9]

I actually had a strange, happenstance meeting about 10-12 years ago. I was at one of the malls in Kitchener and for some unknown reason, this older couple and I started a casual conversation. Turned out he was a WW2 Veteran that served in the RCN.
He was an engineer aboard one of our destroyers, I can't remember which one offhand.
Anyway, this couple invited me back to dinner as they realized I had a keen interest and appreciation for what he and others had done, despite my "youth". We spent hours just chatting, they were both such nice people and very intelligent too. I learned some pretty cool shit that day.
After a while the gentleman started explaining that he had some "souvenirs" from WW2 but he didn't want to give them to any of his kids because in his words, "They just wouldn't appreciate them". He knew that I would though.
Before I left, he handed me some leftover tickets they used when on furlough in England, a pass from one of those furloughs, a German Bayonette, and most incredibly, a tin of cigarettes from a German submariner from a U-boat they had damaged and forced to surface. There were, and still are, 4 cigarettes in the case from 1944!
I daresay THAT is probably my most prized possession. Everytime I look at it, I'm reminded of the men on both sides of the Battle of the North Atlantic and how terrifying it must have been.

[martin14]

Brenda Brenda:

Also, I find it kind of strange that Veteran affairs are supposed to look after graves of veterans who died more than 40 years after active service. If they had died in combat, then maybe...

Combat/wartime deaths are looked after by the CWGC, a special commission
run by the Commonwealth countries.

The father died in 1988, so he would not fall under the CWGC.

He would be entitled to a special headstone, probably paid for by
Veteran's affairs.

But I didn't know they would also pay the maintenance.
If that is true, well they do a pretty piss poor job of that as well.

[martin14]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

martin14 martin14:

Bit of a strange story, I did'nt know Veterans affairs is supposed to care for the graves of vets who died after the war.


However, the way in which most graves are treated is pretty depressing.
They do a much better job in Europe.

I was blown away in Holland. The Canadian cemeteries there were immaculate. Even their own civvie cemeteries aren't as well taken care of, not that they looked dumpy or anything

To be fair, the work is done by local contractors, and they do a very good job
around Europe, but they are paid by the CWGC.
Our money, money well spent for a change.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

martin14 martin14:

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

martin14 martin14:

Bit of a strange story, I did'nt know Veterans affairs is supposed to care for the graves of vets who died after the war.


However, the way in which most graves are treated is pretty depressing.
They do a much better job in Europe.

I was blown away in Holland. The Canadian cemeteries there were immaculate. Even their own civvie cemeteries aren't as well taken care of, not that they looked dumpy or anything

To be fair, the work is done by local contractors, and they do a very good job
around Europe, but they are paid by the CWGC.
Our money, money well spent for a change.

Well, whoever and however it's getting done, it made a major impression on me.
Still, it is good to know who is actually responsible for the work done.

[martin14]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

Well, whoever and however it's getting done, it made a major impression on me.
Still, it is good to know who is actually responsible for the work done.

www.cwgc.org


Some of my pictures are in the Photographic project,
to get a picture of each grave for over 1.7 million servicemen
who died in the wars.

My guess the next few years will be the best time to be in Europe.

100th anniversary of WWI,

the 75th anniversary of WWII,

and probably the last time for surviving vets to come back, as they are dying as well.


Hoping there will be a big push for money to get everything
as good as it can be, and a big push to promote it.

[QBall]

So has the guy not visited his father's gravesite for the past 20 years? Headstones don't deteriorate overnight. Why didn't he personally do anything. Plus it's not for him to return another person's service medals, unless he can no longer properly maintain the medals. Using them for your own personal vendetta is not kosher.

[BartSimpson]

The son really has no right to return medals on behalf of his father. The man isn't alive to make that call on his own and the son is using the medals for an inappropriate protest.

[2Cdo]

So the damage only happened in the last six years? I smell an agenda here.

[Brenda]

I find the digging up the stone and dumping at a Veteran Affairs office pretty disrespectful also...

[2Cdo]

Brenda Brenda:

I find the digging up the stone and dumping at a Veteran Affairs office pretty disrespectful also...

Also, not tending to his fathers grave seems to be pretty disrespectful as well.