Address at the Memorial Service at the Cenotaph, ANZAC Park, The Strand

The Governor of New South Wales, Your Excellency.

The Honourable Cathy O’Toole, MP.

Councillor Les Walker, Deputy Mayor of Townsville.

Lieutenant General Caligari, Patron of the 1 RAR Association, and former Commanding Officer of 1 RAR.

Mr Barry Caligari, former Commanding Officer of 1 RAR.

Major General Kelly, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Australian Regiment, Repatriation Commissioner, and former Commanding Officer of 1 RAR.

Commander 3rd Brigade, Brigadier Scott Winter, AM. Regimental Sergeant Major of the 3rd Brigade, Warrant Officer Class One Brent Doyle, OAM.

Veterans of the Battle of Fire Support Patrol Base Coral.

Wives, partners and families of the Veterans of Fire Support Patrol Base Coral.

The family of Lance Corporal Shannon McAliney; tragically lost in Somalia.

Distinguished guests.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Today, we are here to honour the Veterans of Fire Support Patrol Base Coral.

Honour is an extraordinary word, with several potent meanings.

Firstly, honour is the integrity of one’s beliefs and actions. It is the quality of knowing and doing what is right. It is the true wealth that stems from righteousness and decent action.

Honour dictates what you ought to be; what you can be. For soldiers and officers, it compels us to view war, even at its worst, as one’s duty.

Honour is being poised for instant obedience and to die in the mud under our nation’s flag and our Battalion’s Colour.

According to Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, ‘the bravest man feels anxiety as he enters battle. But he dreads disgrace more. What is life without honour?’

This potent meaning of honour was exemplified by our noble Veterans at the Battle of Fire Support Patrol Base Coral – 50 years to this day. During those desperate three weeks, even during the darkest hours, their honour inspired an unconquerable soul.

Secondly, honour is a source of distinction; and to have that credit conferred on you. It is to be held in honour, in high respect, esteemed, and revered.

For 50 years, the 1st Battalion and our Army, conferred respect, esteem and reverence onto our Veterans from the Battle of Fire Support Patrol Base Coral.

For Coral, our Battalion and Army honoured the Veterans with the Battle Honour, emblazoned in gold, on our cherished Regimental Colour.

On Sunday this week, and yesterday on our hallowed Parade Ground, alongside which 137 of this Battalion’s finest, who fell with their face to the foe, in the service of this nation, find their eternal peace, our Veterans of Fire Support Patrol Base Coral were finally, formally honoured by our nation.

These Veterans shall wear the mark of their gallantry on their right breast in perpetuity. Their streamer will caress our Colours forever more. The prestige they won for our young nation will never be forgotten.

Yet, I want you to know that it is not the recent citation that honours our Veterans of Coral; rather, you, your actions, honour the title bestowed on you.

Today, as we honour, with proud thanksgiving, the Veterans of Fire Support Patrol Base Coral, those here with us, those unable to attend and those who fell with their face to the foe in the cause of the free on that billiard table, North of Saigon, during three weeks of terror and triumph, let us remember that every soldier who has honoured his country, who have made its greatness greater, such as the Veterans of Fires Support Patrol Base Coral, are reserved a special, reversed place in heaven.

The very best, the most honourable deeds, are those which serve your nation, which our Veterans of Fire Support Patrol Base Coral so nobly did.

Today, we honour and salute you.

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Consecration of the New 1RAR Colours

‘Soldiers have always made for themselves signs and emblems which are a mark of their loyalty to their rules, and of the duty to honour the laws of the community in which they are placed by God. So, following this custom, we come together before God to ask His blessing on these Colours, which are to represent to us our duty towards our Sovereign and our Country. May these Colours be a sign to all of us that God is with us always, in all dangers and difficulties. May they increase our faith and hope in him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.’

The CO and those on Parade will then say the following:
CO: To the honour and service of God.
All: We dedicate ourselves.
CO: To the honour of our Sovereign, to the love of our Country and to the good of all people.
All: We dedicate ourselves.
CO: To uphold the honour and sacredness of our promises.
All: We dedicate ourselves.
CO: To the protection of all travellers.
All: We dedicate ourselves.
CO: To the preservation of order and good government.
All: We dedicate ourselves.
CO: To the sacred memory of our comrades, whose courage and endurance have given us the freedom we enjoy and the heritage we must preserve.
All: We dedicate our Colours.
CO: Mindful of these solemn promises and our resolve to keep them.
All: We dedicate our Colours.

‘Reverend Sirs, on behalf of the Regiment we ask you to bid God’s blessing on these Colours.’

Each Principle Chaplain on the Parade moves forward in turn to consecrate, bless or dedicate the Colours.
The Principle Chaplain Anglican, placing his hands above the Colours, says:
‘We consecrate and set apart these Colours as a perpetual sign of God’s presence and our duty to the Sovereign and Country, and an inspiration to all who follow them. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.’
The Principle Chaplain Roman Catholic, placing his hands above the Colours, says:
‘Bless, O Lord, these Colours, which we bless in Your Name, that those who follow them, may be ever mindful of Your Presence, guided by Your Will, and guarded by Your Providence. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.’
The Colours are then sprinkled with Holy Water.
The Principle Chaplain Protestant Denominations, placing his hands above the Colours, says:
‘In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, we do dedicate and set apart these Colours, that they may be a sign of our duty towards our Sovereign and our Country in the sight of God. Amen.’

‘Almighty God, who has called us to be citizens of Australia, enable us to walk worthy of our calling. Unite us all in true Christian love with one another. Help us to fulfil the duties which may be laid upon us. Keep us calm, steadfast and unselfish. Grant that at all times we may place our whole trust and confidence in your mercy and always live by your commandments, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.’

The CO, and all those on Parade, say the Lord’s Prayer.

Following presentation of the new Colours by His Excellency, the Governor General, the CO says:

‘With proud thanksgiving we farewell our Old Colours, and the citations that caress them; under which over 10,000 men and women, amongst this nation’s finest, some of whom are here with us today, served, and fought, with distinction.

With pride, inspiration and grace, we humbly receive our New Colours and citations. We, and those who follow us, will go where they are called by our nation, without question, without counting, without complaint.

We will cherish and honour these New Colours as the embodiment of our Battalion’s soul, our Army’s values and our nation’s trust.’

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Address to 1RAR Regimental Dining-In Night for CORAL50

At the outset, I humbly request your indulgence, while I recognise and thank certain people and groups.

Your Excellency, the Governor General: thank you for returning to Coral Lines to honour us all with New Colours.

Your Excellency, the Governor of NSW: thank you also for returning to Coral Lines to inspire us with your presence on this momentous occasion; one which also celebrates the 25 th anniversary of the return to Australia of the 1st Battalion Group you commanded, following its distinguished service in war-torn Somalia.

The Hon Darren Chester, MP: thank you for being here tonight. Thank you to you and your team, and the broader Government, for determining to recognise the gallantry of those who fought so tenaciously at Fire Support Patrol Base Coral and Balmoral; and for enabling many of this week’s events in Canberra and Townsville.

To Cr Jenny Hill, the Mayor of Townsville: you and your team have gone to great lengths to ensure the success of this week, initiated by last night’s reception. The Battalion, which has occupied its post in this great garrison city since 1971, is enriched, daily, by the community in which we live. Some may think our community benefits most from Army’s presence in Townsville. For my part, I think the ledger is in our favour.

To the Chief of Army and Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army: we are honoured by your presence. Thank you for supporting the Battalion and the 1 RAR Association, on every step of the march towards this occasion.

To Commander 3 rd Bde: your leadership and unwavering support is greatly appreciated by all of us.

Head of Corps Royal Australian Infantry, Brigadier Blain: we are grateful for your presence to commemorate the largest Infantry and combined arms battle of the Vietnam War.

To the 1 RAR Association, in particular the inspired leadership of LTGEN Caligari and the steadfast support of Jim Masters, your vision, cooperation and collaboration has been instrumental in uniting the Battalion in what has been described as possibly the largest reunion of its type.

Thank you to Major General Mark Kelly, the Colonel Commandant of the Royal Australian Regiment and the Repatriation Commissioner, for your wisdom, your guidance, in ensuring the success of this morning’s wonderful parade.

To Captain Ben Carolan and Corporal Michelle McDonald: both have worked diligently, over many months, to make tonight, and this week, a memorable occasion.

To the Regimental Sergeant Major of the 1 st Battalion: aside from being the architect of this morning’s superb parade, you have been working, continuously, to ensure the success of this week.

To the Veterans of Korea, Malaya, 1 st Tour South Vietnam, where valour merited two citations that caress our New Colours, Somalia, Timor Leste, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Iraq, Afghanistan and those who may have never deployed; yet stood ready to heed our nation’s call. Thank you for being here.

And to the Veterans of Fire Support Patrol Base Coral: we welcome your return to Coral Lines, back to our Colours once more. Our Battalion, past and present, united with pride in your extraordinarily gallant achievements of May 1968 – 50 years to the day.

Distinguished Guests, men and women of the Big Blue One, past and present.

Viktor Frankl, holocaust survivor and philosopher, once said ‘men and women should be pushed by ambition; yet pulled by Values.’ 

In the 1 st Battalion’s case, its ambition has been, and forever will be, its mission, which, throughout every era, has been to ensure the ‘prestige, hopes and continuance of our great nation’s way of life.’

When I reflect on all of the missions undertaken by this Battalion – here in this country, and far from this fair land, it is clear to me that three values have continuously pulled the Battalion forward.

The first is Courage. Physical courage when fighting a phantom foe in the jungles of Malaysia; or the rubber plantations of South Vietnam; or the deep valleys, precipitous mountain ranges and green belts of Afghanistan; and, of course, physical courage in those desperate moments during the Battle of Fire Support Patrol Base Coral.

Then there is courage of a different kind. Moral courage in the face of human misery and unimaginable savagery in the hot, dusty wastes of Baidoa; and when aiding a fledgling nation, Timor Leste, rise from the ashes. Moral courage exemplified when standing sentry as Australia’s Vanguard, as part of the Operational Deployment Force, over two generations, ready to go where our Colours were called, whenever our nation’s trumpet sounded. 

The second is teamwork; or the mystical cohesion that only exists in extraordinary organisations; allowing common people achieve uncommon deeds. This Battalion has truly achieved uncommon deeds since 1945. As someone once said ‘cohesion is the thing. Soldiers in the ranks have rarely, over the ages, fought for king, country, freedom or moral principle. More than anything else, they have fought, and winners have won, because of a commitment – to a leader and to a team bound by mutual respect and confidence, shared privation, shared hazard, shared triumph. Bravery, as we recognise and reward it, is far more than anything else the manifestation of teamwork.’ ‘And knowing this cohesion brings pride to men and women – and this pride will hold them true when all else fails.’

There are few clearer examples of this teamwork, or cohesion, than during those terrible hours of the 13 th of May 1968, when the Mortar Platoon of this Battalion, supported by the actions of the Rifle Company’s on the Fire Support Patrol Base’s perimeter, the Anti-Armour Platoon, our artillery, engineers, air force and allies, held the line; and in 3 Platoon Alpha Coy, commanded by the late Neil Weeks, on this night, 50 years hence, repelling attack – against all odds.

The third value is respect; respect for each other, our Battalion, our Army, our profession, our nation, the vulnerable – as our oath compelled on receipt of New Colours – even our foe. It is this value that has enabled this Battalion to succeed in its mission, time and again, since 1945. Soldier Scholar SLA Marshall said ‘men and women who feel strange within their unit, having been carelessly received by it, and indifferently handled, will rarely, if ever, fight strongly and courageously. But if treated with common decency and respect, they will perform like men and women!’

Tonight’s events, the events of this week, the camaraderie that spans generational divides, exemplifies the respect that has characterised this Battalion over 73 years.

Now, if I was to presume to add to Victor Frankl’s wisdom, I would note that allowing oneself to be pulled by values incurs cost; yet also promises reward.

Nothing in life worth achieving, comes without effort, pain and difficulty. Allowing oneself to be pulled by Values is not easy. While easy to expound, it is so difficult to achieve. 

137. 137 Killed in Action on foreign soil, under this Battalion’s Colours and our nation’s flag. This is the cost most apparent to the men and women who have served, and continue to serve, in the Big Blue One, for continuously committing themselves to the Values of Courage, Teamwork and Respect.

And then, there are other costs. Physical and mental injuries; the shameful, initial reception of our Vietnam Veterans by the very nation that called them to Arms.

There have been all manner of costs for those who were pulled by Courage, Teamwork and Respect; who put their Duty First.

But the reward is Trust. What is Trust? For me, it is a state of Grace. I think we have all felt it this week. It brings the best out of our humanity. It allows us to surpass our individual potential.

Winning the trust of our nation, our Army, our Formation, our Battalion, our community; this state of Grace makes the cost of being pulled by Values bearable - and righteous.

Of course, trust is hard won, and with great cost, readily lost and rarely recovered.

You, our Veterans, of all eras of this great Battalion, have submitted yourselves to being pulled by Courage, Teamwork and Respect. Accordingly, you have won, and never lost, the Trust, the state of Grace, we, who currently serve, enjoy. In many cases, you have also borne the cost.

We who are left, serving now under New Colours, the embodiment of our Battalion’s soul, our Army’s values and our nation’s trust, will do our utmost to emulate your example of Courage, Teamwork and Respect in all that we do.

In doing so, we will preserve the Trust, with which your heritage honours us.

Thank you.