AN Albury man, who as a schoolboy wrote about the importance of his grandfather’s war grave, has been disgusted by an act of vandalism at the cemetery where it lies.
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Todd Martin, 33, visited the Albury War Cemetery in Waugh Road yesterday fearing his grandfather’s headstone was among the eight that had been desecrated there earlier this week.
When he was eight years old, Mr Martin wrote about his grandfather’s involvement in the war.
This was as part of his work at school.
Corporal Keith Collins was killed by a truck at Bandiana on May 1, 1946.
The 27-year-old had returned to the Border area from New Guinea.
Corporal Collins had just one more week of service in the army ordnance corps to fulfil when he died.
“After the war, veterans returned to their families but some people had no-one to return to,” Mr Martin wrote in his grade 4 assignment.
“But at least we are alive and we live near the place where my poppa is buried.”
Mr Martin said he was relieved to see his grandfather’s grave untouched.
But the father-of-four felt for the families of those soldiers whose headstones had been damaged during the vandalism spree.
“They’d have to be totally gutted to think that someone could desecrate the graves of people who’ve served this country,” Mr Martin said.
“They’re the reason why we have the life we have today.
“This is a very special place, not just to us but to the whole of Albury.”
Mr Martin said his family visited the cemetery every Anzac Day.
The family makes the pilgrimage to pay their respects to their grandfather.
They also lay rosemary on his grave.
