Rupert McCall said “I wrote this poem at the request of a Dad who lost his boy in Afghanistan… The honour of his request had me compelled to mention every Australian son, brother, husband, father & mate who didn’t make it home from that war… or who did… but couldn’t escape from it on home soil. Look at their faces. Please don’t ever forget them…”
LEST WE FORGET.
Rupert McCall is an Australian poet of international renown. His tributes to special events and occasions have become highly sought-after and treasured for the indelible mark they’ve left on audiences everywhere.
In many sectors, Rupert McCall has become the poet of our generation. In 2005 he was awarded the honour of opening the Prelude to the Dawn Service in Gallipoli with his acclaimed and moving tribute NINETY YEARS AGO and in 2011, he recited his poem A FIREFIGHTER’S DREAM at Ground Zero for the New York Fire Dept on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.
In 2013 as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, Rupert received a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia for services to the community, particularly as a poet.
Ode Courtesy of You Tube
Brizzy Mays Books and Bruschetta 
Great post. Faces make a difference. So often we hear the statistics, but until we connect them to faces, to real people, it is often just a number. It is sobering to see the ages of many of these faces, way too young, leaving partners and young families. I know the pain of having to raise young children alone after the death of a partner, but not due to armed service. It is hard and the best way we can honour their sacrifice is take care of the ones they left behind.
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Oh, Karen, thank you for sharing your personal experience. You appear to have done wonders navigating your Little People through what were presumably tough times. Much respect…..
My first job was with Vets Affairs and they used to send me out to Psych Hospitals and Nursing Homes to talk with the remaining WW1
Vets and their wives, and then the WW2 generation so I have always been familiar with the older soldiers.
With a son in law in the military I too think it’s important to remember how young they are, and what they often give up to follow their career and life paths.
Thanks for dropping by today 🙂
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That would have been an interesting job. Tough in some ways maybe, but rewarding. It doesn’t matter how much we read about it, it’s something quite different to have actually experienced it.
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An interesting job. You were lucky!
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A hard job when you are so young, though it prepared me well for Life and all that gets thrown at you 🙂
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One of my first jobs in my 20’s in Manhattan was going to somewhat rough neighborhoods and taking pictures of homes in foreclosures due to people not paying, drug and criminal activity. Our job made the NY Times. It was interesting. One time we photographed a mob member’s home.
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A beautiful post!
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Thank you:)
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Definitely an amazing blog 🙂
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Excellent post, May. I agree that Rupert McCall is the poet for our generation.
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I have one of his DVDs. It’s fun:)
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