nice one

[Sqad]

http://www.dailymail....als-enjoy-cruise.html

He brother died a hero in Afghanistan,left her his medals in his will, so she being a single parent on income support, sold his medals.
Why? to feed the child, support the family......No, to go on a Cruise.

[Sqad]

tambo....LOL

[Sqad]

Barmaid.....I quite undrestand.

I wonder if her brother had been alive and witnessed his little unmarried sister, with no sign of boyfriend, baby in arms , on state benefit would have said

"Here sis, sell my medals and go on a Cruise"

[sandyRoe]

Why not, indeed? They are hers, again.
But medals are a lot more than bits of ribbon and metal. Some decent families would treasure them.

[Barmaid]

Actually, they may well not be "hers". According to the report, the soldier made a new will which left all to the gf. It appears that this will is lost. It remains to be seen what the court will decide. If it is true that the estate is being challenged then the sister should not really have spent anything at all.

[Ellipsis]

He gave them back to the fiancée, not the sister. What a nice chap. Hopefully she'll take better care of them ...

[Sqad]

McMouse I have been thinking about what you said an wrote on this thread about the value that serving personnel and ex personnel place on medals and decorations, but i wonder if we are evaluating them through different perspectives.

Would the survivors, wives, sons, daughters and relatives place those very same values that you place on the medals and decorations or would they be proud and value them differently?

[joko]

maybe she felt they were just a reminder of a stupid war that took her brother from her and didnt want anything to remind her of that...?

i know some see medals as rewards, some as hollow gestures...maybe she see them as just a lump of metal given to her by the army as though that somehow compensates for the loss...

to be honest if i were him, id want her to sell and get something out of them.. perhaps not so soon after my death of course, but id rather not be remembered with a piece of metal commemorating my death in a war...if you get my drift...not sure im explaining what i mean too well

[rowanwitch]

Actually Joko I think you explained it very well and it is another important possibilty to consider...
A friend who was in the Falklands never talked much about it, but another nurse in the same place who had also been in the forces and was 'mr I can deal with anything' was always so respectful about his colleague,, , he told me the person we were working alongside was a hero.. We could have googled him I suppose but it seemed disrespectful as he was such a quiet dignified man

[joko]

regarding what she spent it in...i daresay if a member of my family was killed, i might feel depressed too and might fancy a holiday to get away from it all....

[ummmm]

Has anyone from your family been killed Joko....because I beg to differ.

[joko]

you can differ all you like ummm...doesnt change the fact that not everyone feels the same way as you do about medals...