Remembrance Day services across the lower South West boast good turnout

The Lower South West paid its respects to those who lost their lives at war with Remembrance Day services across the region on Thursday morning. In Manjimup roughly 75 people turned out to show their respects for those who have fallen in the numerous conflicts spanning the 20th and 21st centuries. Held at the Manjimup war memorial, Shire president Paul Omodei said during his speech the Manjimup Returned Services League had done a great amount of work for the district through the years. Cr Omodei said he would like to see more people joining the local RSL branch to ensure it continues. Bridgetown RSL hosted a service at the Bridgetown Memorial Park. Around 80 people turned out for the event which included special singing performances by students of Bridgetown Primary School. Bridgetown RSL president Terry Linz said it was a “beautiful” day. “I was very pleased with the turnout for today’s service,” he said. “It was lovely having the children from the primary school singing Lest We Forget and the National Anthem, it always makes a huge difference. “It’s a great honour to get up and present the RSL at these functions.” Bridgetown-Greenbushes Shire president John Bookless agreed it was a particularly lovely service. “Today I think it was a memorable occasion because the weather was so nice, it’s actually turning to spring, and it was very, very well attended,” he said. “And it was great to have the primary school kids here singing, they did very well.” Mr Linz said he hoped the community would also use today to reflect on those who are serving in the military currently. “It’s very hard on those who go out and they’re told to do a certain thing, carry out a certain operation and if something goes wrong they cop it - they don’t get much support,” he said. “We’ve got to look after those people, especially after they come home, because a lot of them don’t fit back into civilian life, not all of them, but some of them do, and a lot of them are homeless.”