John Enchong
“It was my honour to follow in my father’s footsteps and serve my country. I am proud to be part of his legacy of service to our nation. I am also proud that others in my family have chosen to serve in the Australian Defence Forces.” – John Enchong John Enchong Torres Strait IslanderSergeantRoyal Australian […]…
John Burns
“My unit, 102 Coral was in the Battle of Coral in South Vietnam 12 May – 6 June 1968. I am very glad that I got out of the battle alive and pretty proud of what we achieved. I never gave it much thought over the years, but in 2018 my unit, the 102 Coral […]…
Jeff Locke
“Proud to follow in my father’s footsteps as he was in the Army. I always knew from a young age that I was going to join the Army. In my short time in the military, I was lucky enough to serve on Operation Solace in Somalia. The skills and knowledge I gained in the military, […]…
James Canuto
“Serving country was more of a personal issue of finding one’s way in life, by seeking adventure, the theory if the world was really round (won’t fall off if passed Cairns), and to fulfil a childhood dream with the next door neighbour mate to join the Army – PS he joined too. When we left […]…
John (Jack) Pearson
“Even though we are diverse, we are in one family.” – John (Jack) Pearson John (Jack) Pearson Yimithurr ManCaptainRoyal Australian Corps of TransportAustralian Army Medals Defence Long Service MedalAustralian Defence Medal “Holding a Certificate III as a Diesel and Heavy Earth Moving Equipment Fitter, I joined the 49th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment on 17 August […]…
Hayden Neill
“Wearing the same uniform as my father is a dream come true. Wearing this uniform and being Indigenous is priceless.” – Hayden Neill Hayden Neill Private5th Battalion Royal Australian RegimentRoyal Military College DuntroonAustralian Army Medals Australia Defence Medal Hayden joined the Army in 2012. He was posted to 5 RAR in Darwin as a Rifleman […]…
Greg Choikee
“I am proud that I was one of the founding members, and President of the Yarrabah RSL Club, the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander RSL Club, and I am proud to continue to serve my country and community.” – Greg Choikee Greg Choikee YarrabahPrivateRoyal Australian Infantry CorpsAustralian ArmyUncle Greg is one of the founding […]…
Glen Waters
“I think it’s our duty to serve our Country. I come from an Aboriginal family where members have provided service to our Country, including Warrant Officer Leonard Waters, a Queenslander, who was the first Indigenous Australian to earn his ‘wings’ as a pilot. During 1944-45, Waters served in 78 Squadron RAAF, flying Kittyhawk fighters in […]…
Glenn James OAM
“Don’t let anyone or anything hold you back from doing the things you want in life. Be proud of your Aborigibility. Walk away from racism; those people are not worthy of you. At the end of the day, it’s about being happy, enjoying life, and being a good person.” – Glenn James OAM Glenn James […]…
George Bostock
“While I was serving the country in Borneo and South Vietnam, the Aboriginal people back home were fighting for my citizenship.” – George Bostock George Bostock Bundjalung (Grafton, Northern Rivers Area)Staff Sergeant4th Battalion, Royal Australian RegimentRoyal Australian Infantry CorpsAustralian Army Medals Australian Active Service Medal 1945-75 with clasps Malaysia and VietnamGeneral Service Medal 1962 with […]…