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An unlikely mateship sparked by a chance encounter has been celebrated thanks to an unusual addition to Ballarat’s 2017 Anzac Day march on Tuesday.
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Five-year-old Oscar Kosloff received the honour of sitting with 95-year-old war veteran – and mate – Tom Rush during the march.
It is rare for people who did not serve to be afforded the opportunity to join with Australia’s former soldiers, but the bond between Oscar and Mr Rush is so strong an exception was made.
The moment celebrates a year of friendship that has seen the pair meet regularly since their first encounter at the 2016 march.
Oscar said he was extremely excited to have the chance to join Tom in his golf buggy, for the ride from Lydiard Street North, to the cenotaph on Sturt Street.
Despite the distance in age between the Ballarat pair, who are from two very different generations, their friendship has not wavered in the time they have known each other.
They have been to parties together, which included Mr Rush attending the birthday of Oscar and his twin brother Harry.
Their first meeting came after Oscar was encouraged to meet a veteran at the 2016 Anzac Day march.
Separated from the rest of their family, it was then Oscar and his mum, Kel Kosloff found Mr Rush.
The pair had a chat before parting ways, but Oscar was not done yet, and insisted on searching for Mr Rush.
He did not know where the veteran lived, however some detective work allowed the pair to reunite.
They have not looked back since.
Mr Rush said it showed other young people they could learn from former soldiers.
“Oscar was just interested in meeting someone who was a soldier,” he said.
“He is an unusual little boy, but he is so interested in the army.
“He was just interested in meeting someone from World War Two and I came along and shook his hand.”
The friendship was also made easy because Oscar and Mr Rush live nearby each other at Alfredton.
Mrs Kosloff said she had initially told Oscar he was unlikely to track down Mr Rush.
“We got onto Facebook and Oscar was able to find him through that,” she said.
“Every month or so they catch up. They met last year because the guy running the service encouraged people to go meet the soldiers.”