Isoa Cabe Cabe

Isoa Cabe Cabe

Fiji
Fijian Infantry Regiment
Republic of Fiji Military Forces

Medals

Fiji Republic Medal (Military Division)
UN Interim Force in Lebanon Medal
Multinational Force & Observers Medal
Fiji Infantry Regiment Badge

Isoa is proudly wearing his father’s WW2 medals on his right side.

“My name is Isoa Cabe Cabe. I was born in Suva, Fiji, in 1958. I have got two brothers and two sisters. I decided to join the Fijian Defence Force in 1979 because my father served. He was a Sergeant and served in WW2 in the Pacific, in the Solomon Islands. We didn’t speak together about what we saw. We experienced different aspects of war, both difficult in their own way. He was a fighter, and I was a Peacekeeper. He was a very strong and disciplined man, and at times we suffered. Milking cows when I was 5 years old, before I went to school. So, when I joined the Army, it was easy. I felt that he had already trained me. He had prepared me, and it felt like home. He was a great man, and so I want to thank him, and my mother too. They were great parents.

Three weeks after I finished training, I was deployed to Lebanon as a Peacekeeper. It was 1980. It was my first tour, and the PLO and FATA were still active; we faced hard times. I was stationed there for one year and returned for a second tour in 1982. But things got harder when I learnt that my daughter’s mother had found someone else. This really hurts, and for some, it can drive them crazy. So, I went back for my third tour. This time, I was in the Sinai Peninsula between Egypt and Israel in 1985 – 86, and we patrolled the border. Good things were seeing the pyramids and the Holy Land. The streets of Alexandria and Cairo were just as busy in the night as they were in the day. There were no traffic lights, only a guy with a whistle; it was dangerous. My final tour was in 1988 – 1989, back to the Sinai Peninsula. I knew it was my last tour, as I had decided to make a big change in my life. After 12 years’ service, in 1989, I decided to move to Australia with my two girls to give them more opportunities. Fiji was not in a good state; the economy was down, and I wanted to make sure my girls had a good life and education.

They are married now, and I have two grandchildren in McKay and four back in Fiji. My first grandchild, Eroni Jnr Tagicakitai, is currently serving and is based in Darwin in the Military Police. He is just 19, and I am very proud of him. I would like to think that in some way I influenced his decision.

In the late 1990’s,I started the Fijian Veterans Club here in Sydney, and we are a sub-branch of Fairfield RSL. I was the President of the club until last year. We meet every month to plan the work we do within our local community. Not just the Fijian community, but the whole community. We look after those who are struggling to look after themselves and need help. We do anything from cleaning to mowing lawns.

As Defence Force members, we were trained to serve, and we are always ready to serve those in need.”

– Isoa Cabe Cabe