Coral Sea Battle Memorial Service in Brisbane
This event took place at noon on May 4th and was held at Newstead Park by the Brisbane River. It was attended by many dignitaries including the Governor of Queensland, high ranking military officers, World War II veterans of Australia and the United States, and members of numerous organizations with an interest in military matters and Australian history. Pageantry and military precision were the order of the day as an Australian Navy honor guard marched crisply to the Coral Sea monument and took up their positions. Flags were lowered to half mast as a bugler sounded "Last Post".

After a silent trubute, the bugler sounded Reveille and flags were raised. Several speakers delivered addresses. Prayers were said and wreaths were laid at the base of the monument in tribute to those who had been killed in the battle. The band played the national anthems of both Australia and the United States. It was an impressive and moving ceremony . At one point, an old Australian WW II Army veteran in full dress uniform complete with sword and the famous Aussie Digger hat, walked crisply over to our group seated along the front row of our section. As he faced us, he came to attention, drew his sword and rendered a military sabre salute. This was not part of the official ceremony. It came from this old soldier's heart and it went straight to our hearts. Such respect, such honor he showed to these old Navy veterans and comrades in arms.

After the ceremony, I went up to the monument now adorned with many beautiful wreaths. An inscription on it¹s face bore the simple words, "They passed this way". A reception following the service was held at a restored historical home on the grounds of the park. That night we attended our final event in Brisbane. It was the Coral Sea Ball, an elegant and formal, black tie affair. It began with a reception followed by a seated dinner and then dancing to 1940's style music provided by the U.S. Navy band from the Seventh Fleet.

Shortly after dinner, I was approached by a gentlemen whom I guessed to be about my age. He asked if he could have a word with me so we stepped outside away from the loud music. Earlier in the evening during dinner, the master of ceremonies had called me to the microphone and introduced me to the entire gathering. He had mentioned that I was just five years old when my father was killed at Coral Sea. The gentleman who I was now talking with said when he heard that, he had to talk to me. He introduced himself and said that he was just four years old when his father, an Australian soldier, was killed at Tobruk in North Africa in 1942. He wanted to know how the loss of my father had impacted my life and how I had learned to cope with it. This was the first time I had ever had a conversation with someone who experienced as a child many of the things I had under similar circumstances.

We shared feelings and expressed emotions as though we had known each other for a long time. An instant bond of friendship was formed between us because we understood each other so well and had such significant experiences in common. As we rejoined the activities of the evening, we both felt that our meeting was more than coincidental.

 

On to Townsville
The following day, May 5th, we flew several hundred miles north to Townsville located on the shores of the Coral Sea. By now our group was down to five men, three of whom were accompanied by their wives. The other men had already departed for home. During World War II, Townsville was a major military staging area for the allied forces for all of northeastern Australia and the South Pacific theater. Today, there remains little evidence of that. It has grown to become a beautiful tropical city of approximately 100,000 people. It has none of the fast paced activity and heavy traffic flow of Brisbane with it's population of 1.5 million people. We came to Townsville to attend the Coral Sea memorial service the following day. By now, we were thinking we had experienced the ultimate in hospitality and temporary celebrity with all of the events in Brisbane. Nothing, we thought, could surpass what we had seen and done there. We were about to receive more pleasant surprises.

As we walked into the airport, we were greeted by a representative of the city council. She was accompanied by a newspaper reporter and a photographer. Our group was interviewed right there and photographs were taken. From there we were driven to our hotel, a twenty story high Holiday Inn with great views of the harbor and surrounding countryside. The accommodations were excellent. Our first scheduled event was a dawn memorial service the next day.

 

A Magnificent Service
In the pre-dawn darkness of May 6th, we assembled at the Coral Sea Battle Memorial Plaza. It is located at ANZAC Park in an area known as The Strand. It sits beside the harbor leading out to the Coral Sea. We were seated in the front two rows facing the memorial and the water beyond. A gentle tropical breeze was stirring. The U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet band was seated under the trees in front of us and to the left of the monument.

The ceremony began as a bugle sounded and the flags of Australia and the United States were raised to masthead. An Australian naval honor guard slow marched on in a hushed cadence and took up their position on all four sides of the monument. The President of the Townsville chapter of the Australian Naval Asociation delivered a prologue with these words. "On this day, we gather to observe the 60th Anniversary of the engagement of Allied Naval Forces in The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought over the days from 4th to 8th May 1942. The Battle of the Coral Sea was vital to the preservation of Australia from invasion by Japanese forces. In respect for those who paid the supreme sacrifice in the service of their God, king and countries, please join us in rememberance of them".

We stood as the band played the national anthems of the United States and Australia. Prayers were said and scripture was read and the Battle Hymn of the Republic, "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" was sung. This was followed by the Lord¹s Prayer and the Naval Prayer and then the Naval Hymn was sung. Wreaths were laid at the foot of the monument. A bugler sounded the²Last Post². Then a lone bag piper slowly circled the monument while playing 'The Lament' as both flags were lowered to half mast. A moment of silence was observed. The Naval Ode was then delivered whose words are:

They have no grave but the cruel sea
No Flowers lay at their head
A rusting hulk is their tombstone
Afast on the ocean bed

This was followed by The Ode whose words are:

They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn;
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them. Lest we forget

A bugle sounded Taps followed by the Naval Reveille and the national flags were raised to masthead. As all of this was happening, the first light of dawn rose gently from the sea. This was truly a spiritual experience, very moving and beautiful. The benediction was given and the honor guard then slow marched away. Such a magnificent service, unlike any I have ever attended before. It will remain with me always.

Following the memorial service, we were taken to a local yacht club for a buffet breakfast. There, the mayor of Townsville gave us a very warm welcome. As he introduced us individually to the assembled guests, he presented each of us with a wrapped gift which turned out to be a beautifully engraved pewter mug. What grand hospitality and class!

On May 7th, our final full day in Australia, we took a road trip north to the town of Cardwell. This is the point of land closest to where the Coral Sea battle actually took place, approximately two hundred miles off shore. There we visited the Coral Sea Battle Memorial Park where another monument is located. This is a beautiful, small park right on the shores of the Coral Sea. There were no scheduled ceremonies that day. We took pictures and had lunch with two ladies, both local residents, who are active in the Coral Sea Battle Commemorative Association which maintains the park.

The following day, May 8th, I began the long trip home. The second leg of my flight was from Brisbane to Auckland, New Zealand. As the big Boeing 747 jet climbed out over the Pacific ocean, I glanced at my watch. It was 2:30 P. M. local time. I was keenly aware that sixty years ago to the day and to the very hour, my father was returning from a strike on the Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku. His date with destiny was only minutes away. I said a prayer for him and thought of those epic events which history has recorded as the Battle of the Coral Sea.