Tears again for those who fell

They died a lifetime and more ago, but fresh tears were shed for those who served in World War II, and the Great War before it, and did not return to their families when a roll of honour was unveiled at the Waiharara Hall on Sunday.

Veteran Tony Jujnovich said he often remembered friends, school mates, "even the boss, who lost his life in the Middle East," not only on occasions such as this.

"I remember Ivan Evans. He was brought up by my aunt. We sat at the same desk at school. He never returned," he said.

"He drove a water wagon in the Middle East. The Germans knew the importance of water, and made every effort to get rid of the tanker. Ivan and his little dog both perished."

The town where he was born, in what was then Yugoslavia, had a war memorial that bore the name Jujnovich 17 times, he added. And he wondered what it had all been for.

"There are no winners in war. Everybody loses," he said.

"Our resources won't last forever. Why do we waste them waging war? My only hope is that I will see the world living in peace in my lifetime."

George Ujdur farewelled brothers Ivan, Nick and Ben, and an uncle. All came home but Ben, who died in a truck crash in Italy late in the war, literally as a boat was waiting to take him home. He was buried in Italy, George's wife Myra saying many family members had visited him there.

"It's hard on the family when someone doesn't come home. They're not forgotten," she said.

Joe Milich said he had lost a half-brother who he had not really known, his death leaving an unfillable gap in the family.

"We were just kids at school, so we didn't really know what was going on, but we had to run and hide in the scrub every time a plane flew over," he said.

Mr Milich added that it had always been intended to erect a memorial to the local men who had not come home, but nothing had happened until Alma Thompson took it upon herself to "get it going".

"She didn't get much help from the rest of us," he said, "but it is good to see that we finally have our roll of honour."

Mrs Thompson unveiled the roll after a brief service led by former regular soldier Toto Thompson, who described the occasion as a special day, one he hoped would help bring some closure to the families of those who had not returned.