By Retired Major General Jerry Singirok
I am being seated in the comfort of my home I call home reminiscing the memories of being a soldier; in fact, a volunteer to serve and defend the country.
I also add to the statistics of many now veterans adding yet another layer of national security and defence and being seasoned as defenders of our mother land as we are only few hours before clocking 44 years as a nation signifying a nation transiting into adulthood.
Yet my spirit is in mourning and I try to console unable with my colleagues what it truly means to be a serving and loyal soldier as one of our colleagues succumbed to the elements of nature and met his fate, this time without threats from enemy action.
I call them Bush Pilots and many times unconventional in their natural skill to fly both fixed and rotar wing platforms in the height of the Bougainville crisis.
PNG and Australian governments must gain credit for training the best in their professions and aspirations as pilots from training to assigning them with aircrafts that they toy as their own with jealousy and precision.
I was the prime user and built a relationship with these young many single pilots and aviators.
Late Phil Emeck was of a better word absolutely brilliant in his prowess as a skillful UHI Huey Helicopter pilot. Emeck got killed in a chopper crash in the New Guinea Islands.
I recall in 1993 supporting C Company 1RPIR at Linsiro behind Loloho and Espie Highway maneuvering the Huey to ensure I disembarked and saved the life of a soldier who was wounded by hostile rebel fire.
Yet I see the humanity in him returning with a very sick mother from Oria to Arawa hospital in humanity mission.
He spoke less and stood as a critical and important team member with his peers who still soar the skies today as some of the best Bush pilots Papua New Guinea has produced. In 1996 when I was in the CEO seat of the PNGDF signed off Phil Emech and chose him to be attached to Australian Army Aviation for more training in helicopter flying and operations.
They were and are the best that the nation has ever produced; Timothy Narara, James Makop, Terry Togumamoga, Eric Aliawa, James Pima, Paul Boga, Charlie Andrew late Albert Tagua and Peter Ansphil.
They were providers of hope when the sounds of helicopters and Arawa aircrafts were cheered by troops on the ground.
Thank you for being an excellent and safe pilot for hundreds of us.
Good Bye, soldier. We can never forget you.
Phil, you know that soldiers never die. RIEP
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