Each Remembrance Day, I pause to think of my grandfather, who served in the Australian Army during World War II. He was part of the forces that fought in the harsh jungles of New Guinea, enduring conditions that tested the limits of human resilience.
One of his remarks has stayed with me over the years. He once said, “Being out there fighting was 80% boredom and 20% indescribable terror.” As a child, I didn’t fully grasp the weight of those words, but with time, their meaning became clearer. The monotony of waiting in an unforgiving environment, knowing that chaos and fear could descend at any moment, must have been unimaginable. Yet, he endured, as did so many others, driven by a sense of duty and the unbreakable camaraderie of his fellow soldiers.
He was one of the lucky ones to return home, but he didn’t return unscathed. The horrors of what he saw stayed with him, etched into his memory. Yet, when he spoke of his time in the war, it wasn’t just the fear or the hardships he recalled—it was the mateship. He often reflected on the bonds forged in those dark times, friendships that carried them through the worst days and gave them hope. That mateship didn’t end with the war; it became a lifelong connection that helped him, and so many others, navigate life after conflict.
This Remembrance Day, as I stand in silence with a poppy on my chest, I’ll hear his voice in my mind and think of that 80% and 20%. I’ll remember the mateship that brought light into those dark moments and the sacrifices made by him and his comrades. I’ll honour not only his legacy but also the enduring spirit of those who served.
We will remember them. Lest we forget.
