16 Pages of Heartfelt Messages Honouring the Brave Men & Women
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RECOGNISING OUR HEROES Picture: Dean Lewins/AAP 16 pages of heartfelt messages Thankhonouring the brave men &you women who came when we called 02 HONOURING OUR HEROES “I saw a young man, face blackened, and asked to shake his hand” I was in Mallacoota with my family during the peak of the fires and witnessed first-hand the mighty work of the CFA. The trucks never stopped coming to the pier to refill day and night to return and fight the huge fires blazing all around us. We were frightened and felt so helpless. We managed to talk to a few of the fireys from a distance and had Whenasimple our grandchildren wave and clap as others drove back out to continue the fight. I passed one young man walking down the street one afternoon, face and hands blackened from dirt and ash, and asked to shake his hand to say thank you. He asked if I was a local and he told me I needed to thank all the fireys who came to help from outside, because Mallacoota wouldn’t have survived without them. I saw trucks from Eltham, Kangaroo Ground, Scoresby, Lara and places I’m not even familiar with. How grateful I am thankyoudoesnot to all those men and women firefighters — they saved the township of Mallacoota and our lives. They are all heroes — dedicated, selfless, courageous heroes — and just saying ‘thank you’ doesn’t seem enough. I hold them with such high esteem and God bless them all. Anne Lehman, Healesville “Toughness and resilience of bush people is there for all to see” seemtobeenough I remember as a kid my dad, who was a long-haul truckie, spent a lot of his life driving through rural Australia and would often tell us about his time in the bush, the THEY’VE been nicknamed the Orange and Yellow Army — the thousands stunning landscape of our country and the great people of firefighters who risked everything to save lives and property in the and friends he made along the way. It would have broken his heart as it did face of the fiercest bushfires this country has ever seen. It’s almost Australia and the world, to see the devastation of these fires on the people and animals caught up in impossible to adequately put into words the gratitude the community the disaster. Dad would often regale us with stories of toughness and resilience of the mates he made feels for these real-life heroes, but we wanted to try. These are throughout his trips. Those traits have been there messages from our readers and some of the biggest celebrity names. for all to see as communities fought and now rally to recover and pay tribute to the heroic feats of our incredible firefighters who will never be forgotten. Sonia Kruger, TV presenter BUXTON Exhausted firefighter David Moore takes a rest before the taking on the firestorm that threatens homes near the NSW town of Buxton on December 20. Picture: Adam Yip. 03 HONOURING OUR HEROES “I could see the red glow in the you put in like us former RFS members who did in the past. And not forgetting all the other Blue Mountains late at night” emergency services who were on the frontline of Many thanks to the fireys who battled raging fires these bushfires, we are all proud of your great work. in the Blue Mountains, saving houses, small honey Darryl Lockwood, Hamlyn Terrace businesses and the township of Lithgow. We were on holidays in Dural, north of Sydney and I could “We feel the pain of a lot of our see the red glow in the Blue Mountains late at night and picked up black gum tree leaves from the lawn, farming friends caught up in this” blown daily across a huge distance. Local people Thanks to the fireys who have helped a lot of my would be ‘lost’ without the selfless volunteer fireys farmer friends who supply us in the restaurants. fighting for total strangers. Not only do we buy from them but spend time Pauline Nicholson, Salisbury Plains together as friends, so their pain is our pain. Let’s hope that this is the wake-up call. Also, that city “Great community spirit lives on in folk now realise is not just a rural problem you see on the TV, it’s on our doorstep. our small villages and towns” Love to the firemen and women. Thank you to Running Stream/Ilford Rural firemen Colin Fassnidge, chef and MKR judge and women and community. BIG thank you to Gary, Mark and Brett Lilley, “This has been a heartbreaking Matt Maude, Darryl Chadwick, Colin Clapham, Greg Reeves and Hudson Sim. Also Felicity Creswell for few months for this country” taking control of the kitchen, along with her team, What has happen to this beautiful country over the cooking breakfast and dinner for up to 120 past few months with the loss of life, property, our firefighters and packing lunches and snack packs forests and wildlife has been heartbreaking. I wish for them all. to send my gratitude to the brave volunteers who Great community spirit lives on. have been at the frontline fighting these fires and Wendy Chadwick all the people supporting them across our country, and also to all the charity organisations that have “It’s a shame we may never know and are still rallying their services. Australia is a wonderful country and the the names of individual heroes” volunteering spirit is to be admired. Saying the words ‘thank you’ to the brave Carla Zampatti, fashion designer firefighters seems so inadequate. How can words ever truly express how we feel about these selfless “You’ve been saying to us all: people who give so much to the community, in many cases not even their own. Saving lives, ‘We’ve got you, you’re safe’” homes, property, and both stock and wildlife in the It is a known saying, when trouble comes, heroes face of terrifying firefronts and for no expectation rise. Thank you to all those heroes assisting people of payment requires a special kind of person. We and animals in dire circumstances. You have shown know the names of those in charge of operations DIAMOND Bronte Mahaffrey, 12, showed her appreciation with a sign to firefighters selflessness beyond what could ever be expected but we will never know the names of so many who BEACH who saved her neighbourhood. She also helped her mum make sandwiches or achieved, and set a high standard for humanity, have worked long shifts, going home exhausted. for those on the frontline, as the family accommodated fireys in their home. a moral compass for us all. A special mention to the Continuing on when they lose their own Greenwell Point RFS and (Captain) Sam out there members to awful accidents must be excruciating. every day in the biggest fires, saying to us: “We’ve Thanks also to the employers who made it “A ginormous thank you — we will efforts. To the CFS volunteers on the Cudlee Creek, got you, you’re safe”. possible for their workers to participate in such a Paracombe, Gumeracha, Birdwood and Mt Torrens How do you ever repay for this type of help. worthy cause. Thank you, one and all. never forget what you have done” trucks, we are forever indebted. Beyond the There are no words exceptional enough in gratitude Marg Swindells, Castle Hill This brutal summer nearly broke us. The only relief fireground, the commitment of the team that for the help that was given. This nation has been in sight — for our lives, properties, and souls was co-ordinated bushfire recovery efforts was humbled by your actions and owes so much. “All day, every day during this the fireys. Your bravery and compassion will never extraordinary. Special mention to Adam Wienert Jan Moogan ever be forgotten. A ginormous thank you. and volunteers — your humility, leadership and catastrophe, we think of you” Amanda Keller, radio and TV personality commitment to the community was a shining light “When you see their efforts Thank you so much to all our wonderful at a time when we needed it most. courageous firemen and the support teams who “The heat, the devastation, the To the dedicated team at Adelaide Koala first-hand, the enormity hits you” are maintaining all the vehicles and fire equipment. Rescue, to Trevor Harvey and our humble Thank you to all the firefighters around Australia Unbelievable work you are doing, my heart goes treacherous conditions” neighbours Jo, Steve, Paul and Danielle, we will for putting your lives on the line to save ours. out to you all! And you are so truly in my thoughts Thank you to all the firefighters, emergency always remember ... always! Especially those allocated to the Shoalhaven and prayers all day, every day during this services and volunteers who have dealt with so Kate, Adrian, Ava, Sid, Gus and Meg Brew, area, in particular Ulladulla and surrounding areas. catastrophic event. I do not say that flippantly! much devastation, relentless heat, treacherous Nether Hill Farm I am a resident of Milton and noticed first-hand Take care of yourselves, you caring, amazing, conditions and new challenges, day in and day the enormity of your tireless efforts. courageous people! out, during all the latest fire crisis and saving so “To all the brave firefighters past Thank you for the past, present and future Lija Kazlauskas, Maryborough many lives. duties you all carry out. Barbara and Glenn Bermingham and present — we are proud” Shane Brook “When this is all over we should As a former member of the RFS, I would like to “Bless each and every one of you congratulate all the current firefighters who gave “Magnificent and selfless acts organise ‘thank you’ parades” up their own time to go out and fight these To all the fireys, nationally, thank you.