Let’s spare them a thought this Saturday

THERE WAS A TIME IN OUR LIVES

NOT THAT LONG AGO,

OUR HOME HERE IN PARADISE

DID PUT ON A SHOW.

YES THERE WAS MUSIC AND DANCE AND LIGHTS IN THE SKIES,

BUT THE TRUE SHOW TO SEE

WAS THE JOY IN THEIR EYES.

FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

THEY CAME JUST TO DREAM,

AND RELIVE MEMORIES WITH MATES OF WHAT ONCE HAD BEEN.

VP 50 IN TOWNSVILLE.

NOTHING COMES NEAR,

FOR THERE WERE HUGS AND KISSES AND MANY A TEAR.

OUR STREETS ARE NOW SILENT

THOSE LIVES HAVE LONG PAST,

BUT WHAT THEY DID FOR US ALL

THE MEMORIES ‘MUST’ LAST.

ITS BEEN 75 YEARS

SINCE THE END OF THAT WAR, WE SOMETIMES WONDER

WILL THERE BE MANY MORE.

SO THIS COMING SATURDAY REMEMBER WHY THEY FOUGHT

AND SOME QUIET MOMENT

PLEASE SPARE THEM A THOUGHT.

Now that we are in the DDS (the Distance Days), its hard to imagine that for 10 days in this city, there were hugs from strangers, tears of joy to fill the Burdekin Dam, and enough laughter to make Disneyland jealous! That was VP 50, and that was 25 years ago.

With VP 75 this Saturday, many will remember the event masterpiece that created so much joy, it changed lives, it brought lives together, those that had been lost in distance and time. VP 50 was not only a celebration of the end of the war 50 years on, it was a celebration of an incredible city. I wish I could tell you everything about it if you were not here at the time for the experience, as the brekky broadcaster at 4TO, along with my mates here at the Bully, we simply didn’t stop, and didn’t want to.

There were concerts and parties in Queens Gardens where many troops had lived, warships in the port open for the families, the arrival of the troop train, the most incredible sky show, so much more.

There was a double shop front in the mall that was the VP50 info centre with wonderful volunteers, where guests still in uniform and medals would find notes on the wall from friends of 50 years ago, and they would meet. My God, to see those moments as I did still brings tears, and incredible happiness.

I guess they would have all passed on now, but to be a part of that team that gave them so much happiness, there are few words, maybe one, “blessed”.

Our wonderful city father, the late Graeme Jenkinson began it all, our great council at the time led by Tony Mooney built it, and produced by John Aiten with an incredible team such as Elliot Hannay and dozens more, no wonder we became National Community of the Year.

In many ways we still are.

Happy days.

Ooroo.