ANZAC Day coming up

This year ANZAC Day will signify the 95th year since our Australian troops and the New Zealand Kiwis landed on the beach at Gallipoli.
Today is the 23rd April and I attended two Rockhampton Primary Schools to address the school assembly for their ANZAC Day Remembrance Service.

Sunday will be ANZAC Day, just as in the name ANZAC there is a team spirit. A well trained team from two countries, Australia and New Zealand. Neither country trained together, but under special leadership they came together as a team and attempted to take the beach and the surrounding hills at Gallipoli.

You know yourself that many students like to play football, cricket and other sports. A game of cricket can’t be played by one person, you need a team. Not only do you need a team but you must trust your mates, and all have the same team goals, the main goal being that you all want to win the game. Your team has a carefully elected captain and it is his or her job to know all the members and guide the team to victory.

Soldiers are part of a well organized team, they train together, they trust each other, and they know that if they get into trouble they can rely on the team to come to help them and in extreme circumstances they are willing to lay down their life to protect a fellow team mate. Being in this team they gain strength and make the impossible possible. Every member of the team from the commander to the private soldier must be able to lead and influence his own particular group. But the commander must be able to decide the best deal for his group and not be influenced or side tracked to do or go about his task in another way.

Whilst playing rugby union all the team members must understand the rules of the game. The team just can’t start on union and switch code to AFL half way through. With the leadership of the captain and the team members the game runs smoothly start to finish.

Mateship can be defined as a code of contact particularly between men and women, stressing loyalty, equality and friendship. Within the military a good soldier has such qualities as a will to win, dedication to duty, honour, compassion and honesty, mateship and teamwork, loyalty and physical and moral courage. In Australia mateship is regarded as a national virtue.

I’m a Vietnam Veteran and very few families were untouched - whether they served or protested or watched the Vietnam war on television.

Our past Governor General, Major General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC once said “Few events in the history of this country have so greatly divided its people as the Vietnam War.”

The Vietnam War covered 10 years of Australian involvement and was one of the longest of modern times. It was hard to recognise the enemy; they looked and dressed the same as the ordinary peasant. They went about their daily work of farming and collecting rubber latex, then some at night became the enemy and attacked our positions

At the time, the Vietnam War generated great passion and controversy throughout the western world. And its aftermath was important in shaping the political destiny of much of South East Asia.

I would think that like most veterans, I am proud of my service in Vietnam, because in the province we were allocated (Phuoc Tuy), we were mostly able to ensure that normal life went on – farmers farmed, teachers taught and government administration was effectively carried out.
In the heat, danger and physically punishing environment of Vietnam all the glitz of civilian life was gone; fast cars, the footy and making a dollar were no longer of great importance.

What was of real importance was the need for absolute trust in one another at all times, mateship, teamwork, leadership and a strong sense of doing the right thing by one’s platoon, ship or aircraft.
Some 50,000 Australians served in Vietnam. Five hundred and four were killed in action and almost 2,400 wounded. Six of those killed came from our own district, Central Queensland, Stew Harald, Frederick Hoare, Jimmy Cox, Kevin Prior, Anthony Lisle and John Carruthers

Thanks to the speed and dedication of our medivac helicopters, our volunteer doctors, surgeons and nurses, few of our casualties died from their wounds.

We were young men and women tasked to do a difficult job in very difficult circumstances, and we did it well.

Service men returned home under a cloud of public discontent, disillusionment and misunderstanding.

Many lessons have been learnt from the post war experiences of our Vietnam veterans. This knowledge has greatly assisted today’s commanders to support the mental and physical health of their servicemen and women, both in the theatre of war and on return to Australia.

Australian armed forces serve in many differing operational and geographical locations across the globe, including Solomon Islands, East Timor, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. We should pause to reflect on their service and pray for their safe return to family, friends and loved ones.

Let us also remember that 2010 is the 95th year since the landing at Anzac Cove, the 65th anniversary of the cessation of World War II and the 37th anniversary of Australia’s announcement of a cessation of hostilities in Vietnam.

It should be our continuing commitment to ensure that the ANZAC flame and tradition of care, burns as strongly for our serving soldiers and their families as it does for our veterans of Gallipoli, Tobruk, the Kokoda Track, Kapyong and Vietnam.

We salute the mateship, sense of humour and that indefinable ANZAC spirit that continues to so effectively guide all Australian soldiers, sailors and airmen.
May we always stand together on this very important commemorative day, as veterans, families and mates.

60th Party at Glenmore Palms and a weekend at Ridges Capricorn

All the secret meetings and the in depth organisation payed off on Friday Night at Helens 60th Birthday party at Glenmore Palms Motel.  If you are thinking about having a special party and looking for a venue, look no further, Glenmore Palms under the leadership of Kylie just made the party so easy to organise.  Very obliging, very organised, very friendly and Kimberly the cook made our mouths water.  Unfortuneately Kimberly will be leaving soon, but she is a wonderful cook.  The serloin steak was so good that Geoff checked to see who the butcher was (Norm Milner).  He said he'll change his butcher in the near future. Geoff owns one of Rockhamptons larger motels.

I took the decorations and the cake to the motel and left them with Kylie.  When we all arrived the decorations were up and the room ready for 46 people to celebrate.

A special guest Bob Pacey a Bush Poet was invited for dinner to recite some of his and other bush poems, one's like Turbulance, The Cattle Dog's Revenge and a special one for Helen and about Helen.  Bob has a keen skill and a great ability to knock up a poem from a Bio.  He had Helen in tears as he read the poem and the momories flooded back.  Bob is great entertainment and can be contacted at Email Bar staffer Haylee keep us all well watered.  There is nothing better than smiling staff

Now Mango4 provide a great artwork / come poster service too, I was able to email them a copy of the poem and some special photos of Helens friends and they turned it into an A2 Poster printed on quality photo paper and laminated for about $100 and worth every cent.

Only two of Helens guests were unable to come, making a total of 44 in attendance.  We thank you all for coming.  

My sister Amanda from as far away as New Zealand, Anne and Tony from Brisbane, Andrew, Vanessa and grandson Nathan from Chinchilla, Aunty Joan, Ted, Cousin Geoffery and his children Samantha and Dan from Theodore, Barney and Carolyn from Yeppoon and many more from around Rockhampton.

It was a great party and Helen is still talking about the night.

Saturday we saw Manda off at the airport and headed down to Ridges Capricorn.  Not the best of weather, it was cool and rained, but we had enought sunshine to get young Nathan into the big pool with his Dad Andrew.

Nathan is such a happy little boy and I put it down to his mother and father, Vanessa and Andrew.  Nathan is only 14months old, but already understands NO, and GO TO SLEEP, eats everything put in front of him, from olives, capers, bananas, pasta, Double Brie cheese, toast and chicken liver Pate, toast and Vegemite, 4 weetbix for breakfast with toddler yoguart and drinks water and milk from a sippie cup.  No dummy or passifier, loves hugs and is as ticklish as ever, loves his bath and adores his Dad.  You can see the look in his eyes when he spots Dad coming.  Very inquisitive, knows what to do when sitting on a rocking house, so what more would you need a little boy to do.

HELEN Turns 60

Helen 60 today and celebrating with 46 friends tonight.
At breakfast when the photo was taken Helen is with Anne who has been a friend since 1959.  Both girls were in the Brownies together.  Later they were together in the Rural Youth, they didn't go to New Zealand together or with Merilyn and others, but they did meet up with each other in NZ.
I got to know Anne through one of her friends and when Helen returned to Australia, Anne introduced Helen to me in 1972.
So we were married in 1973 and here we are so happy in 2010
Congratulations Helen and Have a Happy Birthday and party tonight.
In the picture Helen is showing off her new diamond ring.

Ever chewed your cheek

Well I did last night and tonight it is quite unpleasant.  One of my very back teeth is a floater,it moves and the Dentist has said that it will eventually move out on it's own accord, in the mean time it can be painful.
Just had a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc wine, good stuff so is Pinot Gris, no heart racing like the reds.
Anyhow today I'm reporting on Tamaras Wedding

The band was "Pocket Creek" and they are so very tallented. Most can play keyboard, guitar and all can sing, but one girl has an amazing 'soul' voice from deep down to high notes, she would be great at Jazz and the Blues and I don't know if she has tried those areas. The Pocket Creek band played for about 45minutes non stop. The deep voice singer was the MC and did a Great job. Tamara is a singer in the band and she sang a special song especially for Greg.


There is nothing that I could fault the wedding. If you were scoring out of 10 as they do on the TV wedding show, you'd have to give Tamara 10 for the way she looked, the venue and setup 10 and the food 10. I believe the wine was lovely too. But being the driver and my rule of 0.000 I drank water all night.

I took 256 photos and didn't get everybody, but got a fairly broad collection of all those having fun. There were three ladies from Banana who had the time of their lives. They are all good friends of Tamaras and they had a great time, really let their hair down.

No rain, a light breeze and no need for coats, although saying that I did see a few people rugging up, but as for me I was as warm as toast all night.
So that is about the report on the wedding.

IMA's Birthday

IMA Safety House has a birthday coming up on the 5th May and to celebrate Safety House Assoc Inc Queensland is promoting the birthday with a colouring in competition for kids from pre school to Grade 7.
I'm the WebMaster for Safety House and last night designed this banner and put up the page ready for the competition.  We hope kids of all ages, from all schools across Queensland take part in this competition.  It works both ways, they could win some money, and they will get to know about IMA