By Bill Marklew, Lions Club of Inala – Plaque erected for soldiers and service dogs.
This years’ ANZAC Day commemoration march and service was a little different to the services of previous years. As well as remembering the service of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought and shed their blood on the shores of Gallipoli, we also observed the 50th Anniversary of the ending of Australian involvement in the Vietnam War.
One of the other differences for this year was the inclusion of seven handlers with their service dogs; they were to play an important role when the march made its way to Inala’s I.S.A Memorial park.
What are service dogs? They are selected dogs that are specifically trained for and with veterans that suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or may have other mental health issues. They allow the veteran to escape their trauma induced prison by reacting to and reducing the physical manifestations of their PTSD, be it social isolation, mood swings and just their struggle with managing daily life and relationships.
There are a number of memorials in Brisbane erected to veterans, to particular battles, and there are also other memorials that have been erected to animals that have served side-by-side with veterans, but none that we could identify that acknowledged the bond of the handlers to their dogs. That bond, be it forged on the battlefield or in the battle with PTSD cannot be understated.
The Lions Club of Inala, with the support of Forest Lake Ward Councillor Charles Strunk, decided that the work that handlers and their dogs do should be acknowledged on a single memorial plaque together.
The plaque was unveiled by Councillor Charles Strunk just prior to the laying of wreaths which allowed, for the first time, purple wreaths to be placed at the base of the new memorial plaque.
The day was made even more special by the number of locals who participated in the service, including Jaida Ivinson & Muhammad Zubair, from Glenala State High, Father Jon Brook, and Flight Lieutenant Paul Browning.
The day was a resounding success.
Lest We Forget.
