Wednesday 25 April 2018

LEST WE FORGET INDEED!


Dear Dad, I have been thinking of you a lot these past days leading up to ANZAC Day.  I think of you as a little boy....



... leaving England at just seven years of age with just your Mum to come to make a new life in a foreign land, mourning the loss of a father whom you never knew who gave his life to protect his country in WWI.

I think of you as a young boy, growing up in the working class suburbs of Melbourne during the Great Depression,  working hard at school but having to give that up to go out to work at fifteen but finding a father figure and mentor in your boss, Mr Murphy.....



I think of you as that brave, innocent young man who went off to war "as it was the right thing to do"  - your words, not mine - not knowing what horrors you were to face in the years to come during your incarceration in the infamous Changi prison for over three long years after the Fall of Singapore.


I think that some part of you, like those first Diggers of old, thought that this was, in part, going to be a great adventure. After all, where else would you get the chance to wear a monkey on your shoulder?



Alas, adventure it was not to be....

I think of you, somehow, through determination, resilience and some pure luck surviving that terrible place and coming home to marry your childhood sweetheart.  My Mum, whom you adored and with whom you had a long, loving marriage (67 years) and looked after for her very long life (91 years), caring for her yourself until almost the very end when it did just get too much for a 94 year old to do on his own.


I think of you being a great Dad to me and my two sisters and of how you loved to spend time with my children and the footy games you would go to when Collingwood played Richmond and how you would gently comment about how good the win was when your team, the Collingwood Magpies, beat my family's team, the Richmond Tigers  (which happened a lot in those years).


I think of you going to ANZAC day celebrations to meet up with Army buddies and reminisce about what surely had been the "Bad Old Days" but you would always come home with a smile on your face.


I think of you at 97, living in the nursing home, which you loved, despite your preferred wish to stay at home, proudly wearing your medals on what was to be your last ANZAC day, last year.


... and as I sit here writing this post, crying for the loss of you, I think of your bravery as you fought your last battle, not scared of death but not wanting to leave your daughters alone.  You left this world, just fifteen days shy of your 98th birthday but, Dad, you left the world a better place for all of us here in this great land of ours, Australia, and I am so very proud to have been your daughter.  Love you, Dad.

Vale Roy Willard
28.08.1919 - 13.08.2017


LEST WE FORGET
ANZAC DAY 2017



hugs, 





18 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful loving post ,may he RIP and Lest we forget,thankyou to all the men and women that fought to give us a free country xx

The Knitting Cross Stitcher said...

A poignent,loving post.

Purple Pixie Dust said...

WE WILL NEVER FORGET THOSE WHO SERVERED.

gracie said...

A beautiful tribute to your dad.

PatTofDE said...

ANZAC Day is new to me in the States, but what a loving tribute to your Dad--Vale Roy Willard. I'll never forget reading such touching thoughts. Thank you for sharing and certainly thank you to your Dad and so many others who answered the call.

Christine M said...

Beautiful post, Kaye. xx

Kay said...

Such a beautiful post, you were very blessed to have such a special dad. x

Kaisievic said...

Comment on behalf of June from Butterfly Wings:
Hi Kaye ,
I just read your lovely post about your father , he looked a lovely man, much like my own father.
Very moving .
I wanted to leave a post but it would not let me .
So I thought I would email it to you.
Have a good day , hugs June.

Joy from Days Filled With Joy said...

What a lovely post... may we always remember those who fought for our freedom. xx

Brigitte said...

So beautifully written, your emotional tribute to your father.

Vickie said...

This is beautiful Kaye. What a wonderful man.

Linda said...

What a wonderful post in memory of your Dad Kaye.

Linda

Daniela Bencúrová said...

Wonderful memories of father! Tears have come to me too, I remember my father. It's been long since he left (for 33 years) :-(
Hugs!

deb said...

Beautiful tribute to your father, who was obviously a wonderful man. Thank you for sharing a bit of him with us.

valerie said...

Beautiful tribute and memories of your Dad, Kaye. *hugs*

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Lovely post and some amazing memories of a remarkable man.

Julie said...

That was beautiful to read ... love and blessings to you dear Kaye xx

Astrids dragon said...

Oh Kaye, such a lovely tribute to your wonderful Dad. Treasure your memories.

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