Hi Planty,

As a pacifist I find war totally abhorrent, I see no glory in the actions of killing fellow human beings. I oppose the issuing of medals, citations and alike, they are the trapping that perpetuate a false image of war. Those forced into the front line are mostly the naive and the mislead. The real criminals are far removed from the battlefield, these warmongers in business, and the politicians that do their bidding of in sighting the people and justifying the unjustifiable, they are the ones that should be facing courts and inquires.

Australia has a long history of participation in wars that no reasonable person could agree with, Afghanistan is just another example. I attend ANZAC Day dawn services every year, but not this year, not to glorify war, but to remember all those, ours, theirs, solders and civilians who have suffered because of war. I see the reminders of the past as a way to remind me of the folly of future wars, and how they must be avoided at all cost.

Hi Paul

I'm of 3 generations totally integrated in the homegrown side of military intelligence:

One Grandfather developed Australia's first army field X-ray machine and then manned it as a sergeant at Gallipoli. Then in WWII he may have been involved in UK/US sigint and certainly helped develop bridges for tanks for use after D-Day.

The other Grandfather was Australia's first orthodontist whose "military" service was by way of being close-enough to US int to be fly-in/fly-out orthodontist for Pine Gap in the 1970s.

My late Dad spent 40 years in Army rising to Chief and very close to US mil intel.

I rose to private in the Army Reserve but was/am far better at self-generated military intelligence with help from US and South Asian buddies. More see http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2019/08/submarine-matters-at-moment.html

I went to school with now General Campbell at Holsworthy/Moorebank early 1970s and we were next door neighbours. His older brother was also a good guy who used to mow our lawn for free when Dad was in Vietnam and I was only 10.

So needless to say the military (including its costs and sacrifices) are in my family DNA.

Regards

Pete
http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/

Here's a very good article:

"Ground-breaking Australian study creates world-first tool to help veterans transition to civilian life" of 1 December 2020

at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-01/veterans-mental-health-qld-transition-civilian-life-mcarm-tool/12930128

"
My late Dad spent 40 years in Army rising to Chief....".

Leading the Apaches or something, was he. 'Chief' is not a military rank. The Chief of the Army rank is Lieutenant-General.

@ttbn

Right you are.

See http://australiansatwarfilmarchive.unsw.edu.au/archive/667-henry-john-coates

Where is the proof that you are any relation to Henry Coates?