UK veterans are said to be angry over what they see as a Royal snub. 2012 is Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee and the medal production is stepping up. Around 450,000 Jubilee commemorative medals are being issued to service personnel. The list of recipient's will include military personnel, fire officers, ambulance crews, prison officers and the like. These are what are often called Front Line service personnel. The list does not include those who are no longer actively serving in the armed forces. Most of the veterans though will have served for Queen Elizabeth as she has been on the throne for so long.
Worcestershire Medal Service, Birmingham, has seen the medal production as a great boost to business but with only 15-weeks left to complete the order production is hotting up. The problem though is that according to some sources army veterans should be included. The issue would be where to draw the line but this exclusion of veterans could prove a fly in the pointmnt for the Jubilee.
One famous army veteran and Falkland's hero is Simon Weston. Simon suffered terrible injuries during the falkland's war but has since been a tireless campaigner and spokesperson. Simon spoke of the fact that veterans would not be included saying,
"Everything they did when they wore a uniform - that was their world. That was everything. That was them to the core and we should be proud of the fact that we've got people like that, and you can understand their upset and sadness."
An online petition quickly gathered 30,000 signatures in support of the veterans. You can sign here if you would like to. Other personnel, such as the Merchant Navy and St John's Ambulance Service, though have also expressed sadness that they will not be included in the medal awards.
The first medal is due to be issued on February 6, 2012. Why then? Well it will be 60 years to the day since Elizabeth became Queen. It will be extra poignant for the Queen as it was the day her father died.
The government issued a statement, in effect expressing the need for the medals to be exclusive in some ways. The home affairs and culture secrertary said, "It is also important to maintain the integrity and exclusivity of the medal, and it is simply not possible to include all these groups".
Perhaps the biggest winner in all of this is Worcestershire Medal Service, Birmingham. They have said it is the biggest order for medals that they have received since the First World War almost 100 years ago. It is worth £7 million to them. Wonder who will be footing the bill? The taxpayer? The Queen? I think we all know the answer to that one.
Worcestershire Medal Service, Birmingham, has seen the medal production as a great boost to business but with only 15-weeks left to complete the order production is hotting up. The problem though is that according to some sources army veterans should be included. The issue would be where to draw the line but this exclusion of veterans could prove a fly in the pointmnt for the Jubilee.
One famous army veteran and Falkland's hero is Simon Weston. Simon suffered terrible injuries during the falkland's war but has since been a tireless campaigner and spokesperson. Simon spoke of the fact that veterans would not be included saying,
"Everything they did when they wore a uniform - that was their world. That was everything. That was them to the core and we should be proud of the fact that we've got people like that, and you can understand their upset and sadness."
An online petition quickly gathered 30,000 signatures in support of the veterans. You can sign here if you would like to. Other personnel, such as the Merchant Navy and St John's Ambulance Service, though have also expressed sadness that they will not be included in the medal awards.
The first medal is due to be issued on February 6, 2012. Why then? Well it will be 60 years to the day since Elizabeth became Queen. It will be extra poignant for the Queen as it was the day her father died.
The government issued a statement, in effect expressing the need for the medals to be exclusive in some ways. The home affairs and culture secrertary said, "It is also important to maintain the integrity and exclusivity of the medal, and it is simply not possible to include all these groups".
Perhaps the biggest winner in all of this is Worcestershire Medal Service, Birmingham. They have said it is the biggest order for medals that they have received since the First World War almost 100 years ago. It is worth £7 million to them. Wonder who will be footing the bill? The taxpayer? The Queen? I think we all know the answer to that one.
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