WHEN IS A VETERAN ?

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2911, 25 October 1916, Page 5

WHEN IS A VETERAN ?

VETERANS ANSWER THE question; At the annual conference of His Majesty's Veterans yesterday, the question arose as to tie precise definition of a "veteran." Major H. Lomax, of Wanganui, interpreted the word to mean a man who had served his oountry, and had been under fire, and was no longer fit for active service of any iknd. _ Lieut.-Colonel Porter, C.8., said that ho understood that a veteran was a man who had spent so many years with the colours, and then had served his full time on the' Reserve. On passing out of the Reserve they became veterans. During the course of this interesting discussion, it was stated that every Imperial soldier who landed iu New Zealand had been given the New Zealand AVar Medal, but in tbe case of members of the New' Zealand _ Auxiliary Forces the medal'was only given to those men who had been under fire. Major Lomax (Wanganui) said that it was for that reason that they valued the medal so much. ' Later on it was deoided that South 'African veterans would bB eligible for membership, and, further, it was tacitly agreed that a veteran should become such, not through having attained a certain age, but through having served with the Empire's fighting forces —how long wa6 not stipulated.