Sydney a ship of firsts

HMAS Sydney had a lot of firsts during its recent regional presence deployment, and one of them was the ship’s first port visit to the Republic of Korea.

CAPTION: Able Seaman Brenton Manuel, back right, meets his grandparents for the first time as HMAS Sydney is berthed alongside Busan, Republic of Korea, during a regional presence deployment. Story by Lieutenant Tahlia Merigan.

For one member of the ship’s company, Able Seaman Boatswain’s Mate Brenton Manuel, that meant the chance to meet his grandparents for the first time.

“My grandparents and uncle live in Busan and have for the majority of their life. This is the first time I’ve met them as I haven’t had the opportunity to so before,” Able Seaman Manuel said.

“They’re my mum’s parents and it was great, as Mum has been pestering me about meeting [them] and telling me heaps of stories about how she would like to go back to Korea and take me one time. So, having the opportunity to be able to do it with Navy and by myself was wonderful.

“They didn’t speak English but [I] was lucky to have my uncle with them who is an English teacher, who translated for us.

“They invited me to dinner another night, and then we had to use Google translate, but hopefully next time my mum will have taught me some Korean to be able to speak to them.

“It’s been the highlight of this deployment.”

During the visit, other members of HMAS Sydney (V) paid their respects to the three members of HMAS Sydney (III) who died during the Korean War, at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan.

The UN Memorial Cemetery contains the UN Command casualties of the Korean War and is the only one of its kind in the world.

CAPTION: The United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan, Republic of Korea. Photo by Commander Grant Coleman.

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