Degrees of Separation

I took the kids on an Australian War Memorial blip-tour this morning. A small crowd were observing Anzac Day rehearsals with members of the army, navy and airforce participating. Inside, there were already about 20 wreaths around the pool of remembrance. Especially beautiful were those comprised of Australian native flowers. I didn't go in to photograph the grave of the unknown soldier. It's a very reverent place in the AWM, not appropriate for a rushed shot with the wrong lens. 

At home, looking at the pics, I discovered the young soldier carrying the national flag is a past student of mine, a lovely fellow. More slowly, I also realised that the son of a past colleague, Pte Robert Poate, is represented on the plaque above. He was killed "in operations" in Afghanistan in 2012, aged 23. His funeral was held in the school chapel in the same week I was teaching War Poetry to Year 10 who also had been affected by the death of a peer. It was an emotional time. Tomorrow I will be thinking of the Poate family.