As a former Defence Airman I salute you all. Australia has a fine record of male and female defence personnel from all corners of our society that served. People from indigenous mobs, multicultural backgrounds or several generations of Australian migration from the UK, we naturally developed a sense of duty all under the Aussie banner.
We have many scarred Aussies that returned from war or disrupted nations in peace keeping roles and many of them came back struggling to fit back into our lives. Some carry on with PTSD and its ramifications. We therefore have some that didnt succeed in that task and we honour them.
We Community Champions and members, are here to listen. Feel free to post
LET IT BE OUR LAST
They came home to jeers along a Townsville street
Eggs, insults and abuse Is all they got to greet
They’d endured the Asian jungles where every step you take
Be wary of that trap or your chest would wear a stake
In combat with their mates with honour they’d bestow
Crank up that rifle, is it friend or is it foe?
With shrapnel in their backs and poison from orange air
Their fight would go for years but no one showed their care
As the Townsville streets cursed when our heros paced the town
Soldier honour put on hold their dignity a frown
And wait they’d have to do like a falling shell
They fought for this land Australia from the battlefield of hell
Do you know Vietnam Vets? Then show them of your jest
Shake their hand to understand, acknowledging your best
But we should always remember to never relive the past
The day Aussie soldiers were jeered, let it be our last
When we see our wartime hero’s and remember those that fell,
Let us not forget the brave….from the battlefield of hell….
DIGGERS DAY (APRIL 25TH)
Another diggers day
To a bar to sink the myths
Flip a coin and dispel the stories
On April twenty fifth
A belly of swill in a uniform of pain
Ribbons on chest and that word “lest”
As he walked home in the rain
Dare we think how
They ever survived the April hours
For those diggers are our mates and we shouldn’t hesitate
To honour those diggers of ours.
Rest your weary legs
It was luck and the fall of the dice
In you we believe and together we all grieve
For those soldiers sacrificed…..
So, I ask you veterans, to put faith in us, to see clearly that many of us understand your sacrifice both overseas and now back home. That there is much of your memories that we could never relate to but our ears are still available.
Thankyou for your service.
TonyWK
RAAF 1973-1976
