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On this year's Anzac treks we had a few firsts!
- Our very first aboriginal indigenous australian – Roderick Simpson. At the end of the Anzac Day service at Bomana War Cemetery Roderick was asked by the family of Private Frank Archibald to attend the service they were holding at his gravesite.
- Our very first Sir Lankan – Keith Rozairo a really nice guy with a huge smile. Keith joined a trek after reading the book on Kokoda written by Peter Fitzsimmons.
- Our very first Army Commando – Michael Lobb. I do not have an army background so had to actually look up what an army commando does, check it out for yourselves, quite impressive. We were honoured to have him attend the Anzac Day service as part of Kokoda Trekking: http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/army/Jobs/Co…CFVGApAod_TSJCA
- Our very first singer/dancer – Bree Langridge – who informed us she was a descendant of Tasmanian Aboriginal Indigenous people. Bree arrived back in from Kokoda around 6pm on the 2nd May and she was as bubbly as when she left. A really nice girl who I am sure helped make the trip for the all 'male' group she left Owers' Corner with.
- Trek 840 – David Currie who came back again to walk the track with two of his employees (from memory) for the 4th time. On another occasion he was planning to walk the track with his father but had to cancel as his father was unable to walk. David came up anyway just for the service with his father, took him out to Owers' Corner and hung out at the Yacht Club with him. This guy truly has the Anzac spirit and says he is coming back again next year in 2013.
- Warren Turner – trek 872 is here again for the 2nd time and will visit his father's grave at 9 mile during his stay returning 4th May from Kokoda. His father was the RSL President and he spent a lot of time here growing up. This is a walk down memory lane for Warren sharing the experience with his daughter Lara and her partner Grant.
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Keith_Rozair__640x480___640x480_.jpgJohn Williamson seen here at Bomana War Cemetery with a trekker from another company.
P1000258__640x480_.JPGInfantry 39th Battalion:
P1000259__640x480_.JPGA traditional ceremony was performed at an Anzac dawn service in Papua New Guinea for an Aboriginal soldier who died on the Kokoda Track during World War II.
Private Archibald is one of six indigenous Australian soldiers buried at Bomana War Cemetery in Port Moresby. [AAP]
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Kokoda Trail campaign when Australian troops defeated the Japanese advance in New Guinea.
Private Frank Archibald is buried at the Bomana War Cemetery near Port Moresby, alongside six other Aboriginal soldiers.
His family carried out a traditional ceremony on Wednesday to commemorate the life of all indigenous soldiers killed in PNG.
Grace Gordon was seven in 1942 and it was the last time she remembers seeing her brother Private Archibald, back in Australia from fighting in the Middle East and en route to Papua New Guinea.
"And I was so excited to meet him. It was the only time I met him, since I was small. I never seen (sic) him again after that," she said.
During this year's dawn service at the Bomana War Cemetary, Mrs Gordon and 10 other family members conducted a traditional ceremony to allow Private Archibald's spirit to return to his homeland.
They have conducted similar ceremonies for the other indigenous soldiers buried in PNG.
Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/internati…soldiers/932944
Editor's Note: Some of you may recall an article I put on this website in January this year regarding Private Archibald in the hope that money would be raised to bring the family to PNG.
http://www.kokodatrail.com.au/forums/index…amp;#entry13707
It was great to see this happened in 2012 and that his family were able to come to PNG. The family informed me over $18,000 was raised. The family were sad but also happy to finally travel to PNG to attend the service and perform the ritual needed to take his spirit home.
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F.R._Archibald.jpgSome of our trekkers minutes before we left Bomana War Cemetery 25th April, 2012:
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P1000271__640x480_.JPGThank you everyone for choosing to walk with us at Kokoda Trekking.
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