HMAS Leeuwin

Band of Brothers…

Have you ever had a moment in your life when you realise that there are others who face challenges far greater than you? Do you ever

contemplate the woes that you suffer on a daily basis are truly insignificant when compared to those faced by others. The grumpy old

bloke has sometimes come to the conclusion, that there always are those that should make you feel fortunate for the hand you have been

dealt.

And today the grumpy old bloke feels exactly that way….see in a time long gone in a land far away he knew a different band of brothers.

Together they came together as young…shaggy haired blokes who had a zest for life that was unmatched by any. They were a fortunate lot who by virtue of the willingness to serve, travelled the world, tasted the exotic and new, and in doing so gave the most precious thing they had to offer the land that they loved, they willingly gave their youth.

The job was not always glamorous or exciting; in fact there were extensive periods of boredom and monotony. Yet still they gave…and

served and lived lives most full. But all Peter Pan stories must come to an end, and with the passing of time and the thinning of hair – and the accompanying expansion of waistlines the young boys moved from the follies of youth into the demands of adulthood. Finding soul partners, making commitments, building loving homes and raised the next generation of the future; the things that all the normal people did.

So it is with fondness that we reflect on those who we shared these halcyon days with, how invincible we were, how lean and trim ready

to take on the world. And when one of the brothers fell we all felt the pain, how we could easily place ourselves in that position and thank

our respective higher being for sparing us the pain. But the bonds are not broken, even with the passage of time and

distance we all still feel the pain….today the band of brothers are preparing as one of our own goes through the ultimate test of mettle,

the courage of facing the hardest of challenges that one person can face. And while the tyranny of distance and time prevent us from

standing at the end of his bed with words of encouragement and surety, he knows that the spirits of his band of brothers are there.

 

So tonight, as you rest before the ordeal old friend, surrounded by the warmth of your family both near and far…rest well in the knowledge that all over this big blue spinning globe, the band of brothers are there for you…ready to welcome you to the reunion later this year as a conquering hero. The grumpy old bloke would say just one thing to you…BZ old fella…BZ.

 

Written by Dave Endersby