Araluen ANZAC Day 2016 address – Tribute to Phil Lewis. Reprinted in full, with permission of the author Darren Gillard.
On the 25th April, Australians gather at memorials similar to this one and remember the first major military action fought by the Australian and New Zealand Forces on the shores of Gallipoli in 1915.
Through the ages since 1915 there have been a number of conflicts where volunteers and conscripts have done their duty to give us the freedoms we experience today.
So how do you recognize a veteran or a serviceman? Just look at their medals on their left breast. The medals close to their heart.
2015 marked 100 years since Gallipoli.
2015 also marked the year when Araluen lost one of its own.
2238504 CPL Phillip Owen Lewis, Mortar Pl, 2nd 17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment served his country with the 1963/64 intake of the Commonwealth Military Forces as a Nasho.
Phil loved being in the army during his stint and made lifelong friends with John Rowlands, Tony Staas and Doric McKay.
Nowadays, ANZAC Day not only celebrates returned serviceman and women, but those who gave years of service willingly, those who educated themselves, sweated, spilt blood, broke bones, and died in training but they still earned the right to call themselves ANZACS and were all proud to put on the uniform and if necessary defend our country.
For many years after his service, Phil would go to Sydney in July, for Reserve Forces Day and meet with John, Tony and Doric and together they would march with their Regiment, have a few beers and tell ‘waries’. Sadly now John Rowlands and Tony Staas have passed away.
Born in Sydney on 19 February 1944, Phillip was a much loved Husband, Father, Grandfather and Great Grandfather. He knew the Valley from an early age and eventually settled down with his wife Teresa in 2004 just up the road.
Phil worked for Shell Refineries as an operator and trainer for 30 years at Rose Hill before retiring. He also spent a few years making peach boxes for the Harrison’s and Hemler’s at Wisbeys Orchard, and working at the Braidwood Butchery.
Phil was a man who was not new to being a volunteer in the community.
A member of the Braidwood Bowls Club where he was elected President in 2011,
A member of the Braidwood Lions club when he was elected President in 2014,
A member of the RFS Araluen Brigade since 2005,
Phil was a Mason, and funnily enough so were his Army buddies John, Tony and Doric.
Phil was also the Parade Commander of the Araluen Anzac Day Parade.
Somehow in the middle of all this, Phil liked to make homebrew and of course drink it.
He liked to travel overseas and speak the native tongue to the locals but whether they understood him or not that is the question.
Phil hated wearing formal attire and hated wearing ties.
Phil didn’t read books.
Whether you managed to buy a sausage sandwich off him at the Lions tent at Ryrie Park, or bought tickets off him for the wood raffle, gave him money for the 200 club or just had a beer with him at the pub, Phil was there.
Sadly after battling illness, on the 23rd of October 2015, Phil passed away.
This was to be Phil’s last battle, his last sausage sizzle, his last raffle, his last bowl.
The boots you see behind me serve as a symbol of Phil’s contribution to the Military and the community. Phil has done his duty and served his community, now it is his time to have that long rest with his mates.
I ask everyone now to take a few moments to remember Phil.
(15 second pause)
Thankyou.