A new war memorial has been proposed to serve the towns of Yarroweyah and Koonoomoo but will need evidence of community support to become reality.
The proposed memorial will honour service men and women from the two towns who served in the two world wars and Vietnam.
Its planned location is the Yarroweyah Memorial Hall.
For Peter Sutton, who is the driving force behind the initiative, it’s personal.
“As the number of veterans diminish, a war memorial assumes greater importance,” Mr Sutton said.
“I grew up in Yarroweyah and knew many who were returned servicemen. My grandfather Walter Sutton was one of them.”
According to Mr Sutton, war memorials serve a dual purpose, as both a way to honour and recognise the sacrifices of those who served and to educate future generations about the human aspect of war.
“Gates and halls, parks and reserves bearing the word memorial are important,” he said.
“(However) they’re not personal and do not evoke the same response.
“Names of real people listed on a memorial are more effective, as they humanise the tragedy.”
Mr Sutton said he needed letters of community support for Moira Shire Council to consider his initiative.
“Moira Shire needs to see that the community is behind honouring our veterans,” he said.
“The more letters the better.”
Letters of support can be emailed to sutts402004@yahoo.com.au