ROLL OF HONOUR

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 73, Issue 6282, 16 September 1946, Page 4

ROLL OF HONOUR

ITS MESSAGE AND MEANING THE CALL TO CITIZENSHIP Unveiling a Roll of Honour at Te Rahu last week, the speakers stressed the greatness of the occasion and g-ave an outline of what it indicated and implied. The wartime heroism and service gave rise to a memorial which in turn became a call to the highest ideals of citizenship. I count it a privilege to be associ 7 ated with you this afternoon in this ceiemony of unveiling a War Memorial, said Rev. Martin Sullivan. It is fitting that as a community you should thus honour those who went away from this place to serve in the armed forces of the King. It is imperative that you should pay special tribute to those who gave their lives. Between 20 to 30 names are recorded on this scroll. It matches in detail the tablet which Te Rahu people erected in order to commemorate those who fought in the Frst World War. The, first thing I would say to you is that these two memorials contain far more than a list of names. They are records of people. Their memories will be specially cherished by those to whom they belonged. Their own families are proud to see them commemorated in this way. Think'for a moment then of the two men who did not return from this war. They be buried in a strange soil—l hasten to assure you, decently and honourably buried. You may rest in that knowledge and know further that their comrades and friends honour them. Some of them, almost certainly, were present at their simple funerals, and in prayer and by. thought, communicated with you on that day. We are not thinking, therefore, of names beautifully printed on a handsome memorial. We think of men, of what they did here in their own district, and on the field of battle. We are proud of them, and thankful for their contribution. We do well to recognise that there is a special significance in the fact that your memorials are placed in this hall. This place is the centre of your social, recreational and cultural activities. This is where the community meets as a community. You may feel that, compared with the monuments in beautiful cathedrals, these efforts may seem poor indeed. But they are not; they are the best that can be obtained with the materials at your disposal and further they arc in conformity with this building. This new memorial tablet matches your older one, and takes a natural place in the hall where you meet as a community of people and of neighbours.

Finally, I want to say this. To-day we need to learn afresh the lessons of the Gospel of work and of service. Ths men whose names are here commemorated did not preach this Gospel; they lived it. They were compelled‘io live it. It has taken the holocaust of a to force us to be neighbours, to carry one another’s burdens and to serve and work without any ugly ulterior motives. If we do not think on these things and try now to realise them, then this Memorial, or any other, has no real significance. We do not glamourise war in this ceremony, but we are reminded, as we take part in it, of certain truths, the application of which the whole world urgently needs.

The president of the Te Awamutu Returned Services Association, Mr E. Malone said:—“May I for myself and the Association which I represent thank you for the privilege and honour of unveiling on your behalf the Roll of Honour which, with sincerity in your hearts and vision in your minds, you have erected in this place which is designed to be the centre where you can meet as a community and, as such community, publicly express whether by word or deed, your opinions, ambitions and desires.

There never was a war or, for that matter, any hum,an cause or event which brought into action a nation in such numbers—war which demanded the utmost of courage, work and prayer. The liberties of the world were threatened as never before; the belief in God-given freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom of creed and right to live in accordance with His commandments were assailed by a force which by its hideousness must .surely have been inspired by the King of Evil. To combat all that, the world of free men rose. To 'bar the way, our men and women sallied forth with a full knowledge that they were fighting not for conquest of territory or for the sake of covetousness, but for what was believed to be right, decent and[ just. Some have not returned but they are at peace—a peace which we who are left know not, nor share not.

There are those who have returned. Their names are linked with those of whom we individually at all times think* and at times in silent communion to perpetuate all it is customary to erect here and there in all communities, some visible and outward sign of gratitude and honour. Hence this Roll of Honour. But, I ask, is that all? Having done so, is our obligation at an end? Do the stone or wood and the list of names represent the end of our duty? If such is the case, then it would be better not to unveil the Roll of Honour. It would be more honest to take 'away and cast it in the fire. No, ladies and gentlemen. Here ends not our. duty. We must not only remember this way; we must remember those men, living and dead, not only by this outward sign but in our hearts, and as a - Greek philosopher said, “they must have a home in the minds of men.” We must think of them and why they fought and why we honour them. We must in our daily lives live in accordance with the ideals for which ttfey fought and which by their sacrifice sustained. We must honour them. We can and will honour them if we so mould the destinies of this country collectively and our personal lives in simplicity, truth, honesty and in accord with the Divine precept “Love thy Neighbour-.” If we are not prepared to do this, then this Roll of Honour is just p. hollow mockery. There is the challenge for us and may we accept it Vvi’h all humility and carry onMay I say a word to the men themselves? You are honoured. Your names are on a Roll honouring you. Does your obligation conclude on the note that you served? It is certain that with the long years ahead of you, you will yet have to make sacrifices, give service to your fellow-men in each and your own particular manner and way of life. It is your

task to carry on and I am firmly of the opinion that each and every one of you needs no word from me or anyone else to point the way to you. You need no pleading. This country of ours has been blessed and is the loveliest spot in the world. Nature has made it so and Nature may keep it so. There is unbounded opportunity for pleasure, sport and the pursuit of happiness, but there is unbounded opportunity to better things. May we strive to seek happiness in the moral strength of our people. Wealth, leisure, pleasure without morals is the end of us. May we seek true happiness. You can help in this by building up a God-fearing generation, you can make this country strong by trying to develop a philosophy of life of our own based upon; Christian principles. We do not have to copy other “isms.” Let us build our own “ism” and, in this, the greater part is yours.

What can we all do ? The answer is whether you be Christian or Mohammedan, contained in three words, “Love thy neighbour.” If we do that, then we shall some day be truly entitled to say that we have in deed given honour to those men whose names are here inscribed and we can truly say of the dead “They died not in vain.” Ladies and gentlemen, in your name I unveil this Roll of Honour with the prayer and hope that it will always mean what it is called; that no cne will ever shame it by forgetting the men and in the sound belief that the men will always remain worthy of the Honour given them.