The Long Road Home - RSA Memorial Service

Marlborough RSA invite all to join them at a Memorial Service to commemorate the Long Road Home for our World War I servicemen and women.

The story behind 'Long Road Home':
To commemorate the return of servicemen and women to New Zealand at the end of the First World War and to raise awareness of the issue of Post Traumatic Stress Injury.

The experience of returning home varied greatly, while many had parades and receptions others returned in small groups, often on commercial ships getting home to no fanfare. Many of them did not reintegrate and in fact came to feel alienated by the country they had served.

Most struggled after the war just to survive the economic hardships. Even government schemes failed to deliver the expected rewards as many former soldiers were not the adaptable people they were perceived to be. In fact, a lot had left to serve before gaining any work skills.

Many did not survive the 1920s and '30s, feeling alone and useless, with no one to offer help in a society known for its stoic attitudes, they would succumb to suicide. In many ways New Zealand in the 1920s was a perfect storm of how not to treat people suffering from PTSI.

To help understand, both out First World War veterans, and other survivors of PTSI, regardless of their occupation, the group will be undertaking this journey to focus on the issues, provide some ideas, and highlight the services that exist for those suffering. Many of the groups are ex-military and some also suffer from PTSI themselves. This journey will demonstrate that recovering from PTSI is a process of recovery with positive and enduring outcomes possible.

It is our intention to make this a kiwi led international initiative breaking the stigma of PTSI and depression that can sadly lead to people taking their own lives. The more we talk about it, the less the stigma that surrounds it has an effect on the sufferers of it.