Tassie Devil
08-31-2009, 08:18 AM
Jack Quincy Fleming returned to his old Army camp at Rockhampton, Queensland after the War to begin civilian life with his young Aussie wife and his chubby son, JQ junior.
Dad was a heavy machine gun specialist and Company carpenter with the 41st Infantry Division and so joined a local builder as a carpenter for a while and soon after became a building contractor himself.
Dad never forgot a non-denominational bush chapel built at nearby Nirimbera by the US Army engineers and for the next sixty six years was instrumental in maintaining Saint Christopher's chapel which hosts an annual service on the nearest Sunday to the 4th July.
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff179/Johnquincy/P1020063.jpg
As I posted last year, Dad was presented with a plaque in honor of his service to the Chapel by the President of the 41st Division, Master Sergeant David Funk, who noticed Dad's old uniform in the Rockhampton Army Museum.
While enjoying breakfast on the front porch of Dad's home at Emu Park, Dave suggested that it would be appropriate to present Dad with a new modern uniform complete with his rank and name-tag.
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff179/Johnquincy/P1020054.jpg
The service this year happened to coincide with a joint US /OZ military operation in the area and so the Salvation Army band was boosted somewhat by the presence of the US Marine band
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff179/Johnquincy/P1020047.jpg
....and true to his word, Dave presented Dad with a brand new modern US Army uniform which Dad promptly passed onto the museum on permanent loan with the stern warning that it should be returned to him in the event the he be called back into service. The ninety three year-old ex cowboy was deadly serious....
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff179/Johnquincy/P1020027.jpg
Can any-one advise me how to convince a 93 year old veteran that he shouldn't drive his car fifty kms to the doctor for an eye operation? I'd straight out tell him not to but I'm not sure where that old high powered .22 is kept...
He's a worry....
Cheers,
JQ.
Dad was a heavy machine gun specialist and Company carpenter with the 41st Infantry Division and so joined a local builder as a carpenter for a while and soon after became a building contractor himself.
Dad never forgot a non-denominational bush chapel built at nearby Nirimbera by the US Army engineers and for the next sixty six years was instrumental in maintaining Saint Christopher's chapel which hosts an annual service on the nearest Sunday to the 4th July.
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff179/Johnquincy/P1020063.jpg
As I posted last year, Dad was presented with a plaque in honor of his service to the Chapel by the President of the 41st Division, Master Sergeant David Funk, who noticed Dad's old uniform in the Rockhampton Army Museum.
While enjoying breakfast on the front porch of Dad's home at Emu Park, Dave suggested that it would be appropriate to present Dad with a new modern uniform complete with his rank and name-tag.
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff179/Johnquincy/P1020054.jpg
The service this year happened to coincide with a joint US /OZ military operation in the area and so the Salvation Army band was boosted somewhat by the presence of the US Marine band
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff179/Johnquincy/P1020047.jpg
....and true to his word, Dave presented Dad with a brand new modern US Army uniform which Dad promptly passed onto the museum on permanent loan with the stern warning that it should be returned to him in the event the he be called back into service. The ninety three year-old ex cowboy was deadly serious....
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff179/Johnquincy/P1020027.jpg
Can any-one advise me how to convince a 93 year old veteran that he shouldn't drive his car fifty kms to the doctor for an eye operation? I'd straight out tell him not to but I'm not sure where that old high powered .22 is kept...
He's a worry....
Cheers,
JQ.