Heros from the Past
I come from a long line of people who believe in serving their country. I know that I have relatives who fought in the Boer War, the war to end all wars (First World War), the second World War and then there is a pause during Korea, Vietnam, etc. But one war my grandfather fought when he came out to Australia was one with his own body. He was one of the few who stood up at Maralinga in the deserts of South Australia and watched an atomic bomb go off during the tests in the 50′s. Not surprising he died of cancer as a result of being bombarded with radiation. He’s not alone: there were hundreds that stood alongside him – and died.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’m writing a story about him – obviously I can’t talk about my story, so I’ll give it a codename “Bert” after my Grandfather, Albert; a quiet ex-artillary man who wanted to give his family a new start after the tradegies of the Second World War. We almost went to Canada, but that’s another story.
I suspect I can sum up his life in this picture.
And I’ll wear them with pride and remember him. Without him, I’d never have been born.
thankful