Servicemen favour A.N.Z.U.S.

Press, 26 April 1988, Page 8

Servicemen favour A.N.Z.U.S.

PA | || j j Auckland i Some Auckland World i War I servicemen strongly endorse a; return to the A.N.Z.U.S. | alliance by New Zealand. |! The| veterans were unanimous!;in support for nuclear ship visits and the A.N.ZIU.S.I; al iance after ; listening to the main address) by (Rear| Admiral Lawrence Carr at the) An- j zac Day commemorative ! service |at .. Auckland ! Domain. | | ": | 1 | h Mr Lawrence Blyth, I aged 92, ipf I Herne Bay, I 1! • I I . ■ I

who served with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, said the address was wonderful and was "just what we wanted.’’ He said: '|T! have) not been to two! worlii wars for nothing. The [sooner we return to! A.N.Z.U.S. the better.” I Captain fed Parsons; aged 87, of Avondale; who served with the Roy|al\ Marines, said a return to A.N.Z.U.S, was a major way to keep peace. “We don’t want ' any more war,” I he said. “We have seen enough war.

|“lt is a different thing now to what it was when we fought; if! there was another major |war now, no one would last long.” He said keeping strong bonds with allies such as the United States was imperative. [I ’ Mr Ben Gainfort, aged 92, of St Mark’s Bay, who served with pie Auckland Mounted Rifles, : said ' a return to the military policies of the past to allow nuclear ships visits was important for [the country. He also advocated I a

return to compulsory military training. "The worst thjng that ever happened was when this country’ got rid of compulsory military trainings he said. Life in the services taught discipline and comradeship. In his view, discipline was lacking in many young people today. Mr Gainfort said: “Young people today do not take life seriously enough. They are too frivolous. They need discipline."