By
Graham Davis
 |
|
The
Prime Minister chats with members of Kanimbla’s crew
after the service.
Photo by LSPH Damian Pawlenko
|
More
than 250 family members of members of the Armed Forces came together
in the Garden Island Naval Chapel last month to “pay their
dues of thanksgiving to God” for the safe return of those
who deployed to Iraq.
“There was a sense of foreboding at a church service at Duntroon
on March 20 when we asked God to look after those going to Iraq,”
the Director General of Chaplaincy/Navy, PCHAP Eric Burton said
in his sermon.
“We teach our children to say ‘please’ and ‘thank
you’. It is therefore appropriate we come back today and
say ‘thank you’...to pay our dues of thanksgiving to
God for the safe return of our men and women,” he said.
The congregation joined the Sydney detachment of the RAN Band
and the St Andrews Cathedral Boys Choir in a number of hymns and
anthems culminating in the Australian National Anthem.
Dubbed “A service of thanksgiving for the safe return, and
prayer for ADF deployed members and their families” the July
30 service attracted Navy, Army and RAAF personnel from across
the Sydney region.
Sixty-five officers and sailors from HMAS Kanimbla, just back
from The Gulf attended.
The Governor of NSW Professor Marie Bashir was joined by the Prime
Minister and Mrs Howard, Defence Minister Senator Robert Hill,
Opposition Leader Simon Crean, CDF GEN Cosgrove and Mrs Cosgrove,
and Chief of Navy VADM Ritchie and Mrs Ritchie. The service began
with the presentation of the Australian “colours”.
WO Richard Polson led a catafalque party of POBM Matt May, with
the ANF, SGT Terry Whitwam with the ADF ensign and with escorts
CPL Scott Wesgarth and LSBM Iain Harkins, to the sanctuary.
Here the Principal Air Chaplain, AIRCDRE Peter O’Keefe, accepted
the flags and laid them on the Communion table. Senior Army Chaplain
Russell Mutzelburg then led the chapel in prayer.
LEUT Chris Wakefield carried the caps of three members of the
armed services to be laid by Kanimbla’s Chaplain Murray Lund
side-by-side at the foot of the table. These were the symbols
of those who had served their country and deployed.
LEUT Wakefield’s wife Beth carried a single candle to symbolise
those who remained at home.
The Prime Minister then read from the Old Testament. A New Testament
reading by CDF GEN Peter Cosgrove followed the singing of Psalm
46.
PCHAP Burton described as “unsung heroes” the family
members, particularly the wives and husbands who had to raise
young children while their partner was deployed. He also applauded
the Defence Community Organisation for the support it gave Defence
families.
The 50-minute service concluded with The Lord’s Prayer, the
hymn The Great Southland and finally Advance Australia Fair.
Clergy and congregation walked the 250 metres to the former FIMA
workshop recently converted to a reception hall.
The Navy Imagery Unit/East had decorated the hall with many display
boards carrying images of Defence personnel in action in the Middle
East and the recent homecoming of HMAS Kanimbla and her 350 sailors
and soldiers.
The morning tea ended on the waterfront with the guests enthralled
by a performance of Beat to Quarters and marching display by the
RAN Band.
