It is many weeks since Angela Ho's letter to these columns appeared, headlined 'Cenotaph deserves better' (South China Morning Post, July 30).
I was, I know, like other Chinese, delighted to see this issue raised by an obviously local Hong Kong lady.
I, with others, attended the memorial service at the City Hall on August 15, the anniversary of the end of World War II. The SAR Government at first marked it 'Sino-Japanese Victory Day' then, after merely a year, dropped it.
That day the veterans of the Volunteers, prisoners of war, a few government officials, the consul-generals of Canada and Britain and widows laid poppy wreaths and one of the younger Volunteers saluted the war dead with the bugler's call of Last Post. It was very moving.
There also, as always, was that old stalwart Jack Edwards, who fought for years to obtain free medical treatment, grants, then pensions for the ex-servicemen and ex-PoWs.
I met him five years ago and explained my grandfather (Chinese), when he died, left two medals from the 1914-1918 war and four from his service in the 1939-1945 war, and I wanted to attend the Cenotaph, wear a poppy and, if possible, also the City Hall services.
He told me I would be very welcome and explained I could wear my grandfather's medals, in remembrance of him, on my right breast. Veterans wore theirs on their left breast.
