Caesar Still Lives
Major General R.A. Grey AO, DSO –
a salute from all his centurions, living and dead
Find me the soldier who speaks of Caesar gone
Take his name, for he is so wrong
In dreams we follow him again into the fog of war, night or day
Look and you see him here, there, and everywhere, leading the way
Hear his sharp spurs to counter fear and capture pride
Laughter and camaraderie at camp fires with centurions by his side
See his torch of honour, love of country and duty burning bright
A flame in our column forever and a day, and always in sight
Listen to the tramp of many willing feet marching as one
His stirring spirit going forward to the rhythmic beat of our drums
When the bugle calls, he is there as our flag’s raised high
His legions, eager for life, yet when duty calls, ready to die
Have no doubts, our beloved Caesar will always be there
Mid the ranks of today’s warriors standing fast and soon to dare
Now go find me the soldier who says Caesar has gone
Take his name, for he is so, so wrong
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Hail Caesar
By George Mansford
A Tribute to Our Caesar in Khaki and Jungle Green
Major General R.A.Grey AO DSO –
Posted to Valhalla 20 January 2022
Caesar was our God, and his bible was to be read and obeyed. It included commandments on many essentials so critical in war. He was tough and demanding. Failure was not included in his dictionary. He was never forgiving in regards incidents of poor leadership, and always was his interest in the welfare of his soldiers, as well as an ability to recognise individual weaknesses to be rectified and strengths to be exploited. Caesar never asked a soldier to do what he as a leader had not already done, and quite often led the way with soldiers who were yet to meet their first challenge.
He administered military justice with the wisdom and force of Solomon and more often than not it was severe. Always was his objective to achieve a very high standards of battle discipline, be it peace or war – and he did. He was very much admired by his troops; however, as is the way when enduring physical and mental challenges in a harsh and unforgiving environment, there were a few who had different views. Their service was brief.
From a young lieutenant in Korea commanding an infantry platoon, then later as Chief Instructor of the Battle Wing at Canungra preparing troops for operations in Vietnam, followed by commanding an infantry battalion in Vietnam and ultimately as a General in charge of Australia’s Field Force. In all commands, he left huge footprints for all who would follow. A further challenge confronted him when the government of the day selected him to command Australia’s Federal Police where yet again he was held in high regard.
So many soldiers who served under him, no matter when or where, still remember him with much admiration and respect. Perhaps such reflection from far distant years is the most powerful accolade that any group of veterans could bestow.
FILE PHOTOS: Major General Ron Grey inspects members of the 5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment on parade at Holsworthy in 1981 – and at a social function in 2012.
Uniformed photo by Sergeant Craig Murphy. Social photo by Brian Hartigan.
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I am eighty-three years old. I have lived in this country for seventy-three years. I have served this country as a career army officer culminating my service as a battalion commander of a regular infantry battalion. I volunteered for service in Vietnam attached to US Special Forces. All this I did with pride and gratitude because Australia gave me and my family succour when Mao Tse Tung invaded China and kicked us (White Russians post the Russian civil war) out of the country in 1948 after murdering some of our people in Shanghai and Tien-Sinh. So, believe me, I have a clear perspective of how socialism evolved in both Soviet Russia and China. And I can tell you, it’s not ‘Utopia’ that will welcome our trendy socialist millennials with balmy days and siren songs, but stark poverty and ruthlessness under the authoritarian ugly face of socialism. Are we prepared with the right leadership and the right concepts to fight this battle for democracy? Or are we being side tracked by silly arguments about The Voice and monarchy verses republicanism in the face of our Rome as it burns? Have our politicians failed us? The Westminster system, currently preferred by some Commonwealth countries is one in which people do not directly elect their government but leave it to the elected legislature to install the government—so, you, the voter, has a somewhat limited role here (whatever happened to Lincoln’s words about government of the people by the people?). So how is the ‘legislature’ elected? To adhere to this system one relies on political parties—two major parties—one forms the government, the other becomes the opposition. If one accepts the principles that politicians owe allegiance only to the party they belong to, where, then, does this leave the voters? And to further disconnect people from their ostensibly political representatives, in this country we popularly use preferential voting, that is where you vote for your local member of the House of Representatives needing to decide who you like the most, followed by the second most you like, and so on! So not only are you voting for a politician, but also perhaps your second-best choice or even someone more mediocre.You are further required to squander away your choices on a system that allows proportional minority representation groups and independent candidates elected to the parliament in proportion to the number of votes they receive. So the voter is further forced to water down the value of his/her vote by minority ratbags who chose not to abide by majority reasoning and serve to thwart progress. In short, the political class has indeed failed to represent the people and so the debate should encompass the removal of all political parties and a change in governance. The notion of ‘a confederation of loose-knit states’ as a pillar of the Constitution will continue to lead us into a state of dysfunction while the states bicker among themselves for parochial gains. The public should vote for a president (first past a post) who has executive powers and who is assisted by representatives (proportional to regional population groupings of men and women of intellect and capacity also elected first past a post, by the people for a period of, say four years.
stan krasnoff
Hi Rita
Communism has a belief that western socialists should be given freedom to provide an opportunity for the useful idiots in their societies to push for the destruction of democracy. Our Labor government has fallen for this trap. As a ten-year-old white Russian child I witnessed the collapse of the Kuomintang Chinese government at the hands of the murderous gangs of Mao Tse Tung’s communists in 1949. My family and I became refugees having been forced to escape Shanghai with barely our lives and no possessions. So after seventy-three years in this wonderful country I reminisce about the good times and the bad, that have befallen The Lucky Country. With sadness I witness the silly machinations of the Labor government around unproved and failing notions of pump hydro, net zero emissions and unreliable renewable energy. I note that the German government has been rebuffed (67% of its population are in favour of nuclear power and not renewable energy). But what about our Australian conservatives? Where is Dutton? Are we prepared with the right leadership and the right concepts to fight this battle for democracy? Or are we being side tracked by silly woke arguments? Have our politicians failed us? Apart from lacklustre leadership from all parties, lets look at our system of governance: The Westminster system, currently preferred by some Commonwealth countries is one in which people do not directly elect their government but leave it to the elected legislature to install the government—so, you, the voter, has a somewhat limited role here (whatever happened to Lincoln’s words about government of the people by the people?). So how is the ‘legislature’ elected? To adhere to this system one relies on political parties—two major parties—one forms the government, the other becomes the opposition. If one accepts the principles that politicians owe allegiance only to the party they belong to, where, then, does this leave the voters? And to further disconnect people from their, ostensibly, political representatives, in this country we popularly use preferential voting, that is where you vote for your local member of the House of Representatives needing to decide who you like the most, followed by the second most you like, and so on! So not only are you voting for a politician, but also perhaps your second-best choice or even someone more mediocre.You are further required to squander away your choices on a system that allows minority representation groups and independent candidates elected to the parliament in proportion to the number of votes they receive. So the voter is further forced to water down the value of his/her vote by minority ratbags who chose not to abide by majority reasoning and serve to thwart progress. In short, the political class has indeed failed to represent the people and so the debate should encompass the removal of all political parties and a change in governance. As a first step: revoke preferential voting and replace it with ‘first past the post’ and remove proportional representation. Some of us who have tasted the bitter fare of dictatorships can foresee a calamitous future as a result of dithering weak-minded liberals.
stan krasnoff
On behalf of Bo Gritz USSF Special Projects B-36 (VN) and stan krasnoff, an avid believer and fellow combatant: how sad your nation did not see fit to make you the CDFS. Where ever you are, fly high–fly straight.
stan krasnoff