COOROY’S Jim Dunstan penned this poem while visiting the Australian War Cemetery in Lae, Papua New Guinea.
Jim served as a Warrant Officer in the AIF in World War II and spent two years in Papua New Guinea during the South West Pacific campaign.
He is a member of the Cooroy- Pomona Sub- Branch of the R.S.L and much loved by the local community.
Why? Well may we ask and wonder,
as these silent rows We Pace,
Why these young lives were torn asunder,
In this distant, hostile place?
At peace they lie beneath each stone,the flower of a nation’s youth.
Some died together, others died alone,
But all fought for liberty, freedom and truth.
They went to war unknowing,Of the trials that lay in wait,
But there was no question of their going,
Nor any questioning of their fate.
So much laughter forever stilled,
so many young hearts sadly broken.So many dreams that were unfulfilled,
so many loving words unspoken.War is the great leveller when it takes its toll,
the faint hearted fall, as do the brave.War plays no favourites when it calls the roll,
there is no difference, whether saint or knave.
Many years have passed since then,
Other causes, other conflicts, other foes.
But please God we shall never again,need to pace these silent rows.
