HONOUR THE FALLEN

“Pale Death with impartial tread beats at the poor man's cottage door and at the palaces of kings. “ Odes, Horace (64BC – 8BC)

In war, no one is safe and nothing is sacred when that odd angry shot is fired. It is indiscriminate, merciless and uncaring. It is the quintessential factor of the conflict that judges and determines everything in a split-second; one round can change nothing or effect everything. It wins and ends the battle. It defends and takes lives.

The Viet Nam War held true to this reality for thousands of men and women.

The 23 rd of May 1968, for 161 (Indep) Recce FLT based in Nui Dat, should have been any other day for a small unit. Always is there a threat, but any morning one woke up from could be thankful that they had survived yesterday. The past is certain, but no one can ever predict the future. Nobody could have known whom they would or could lose. Unknown to all on that fateful day, 161 (Indep) Recce FLT would lose someone.

The qualities of leadership imbued within Major George Constable were well known. To all the men who served under him, he was a fair and just man. To all in the flight, Constable was approachable, friendly and assured in his command of his men and the responsibilities he had to them. His men appreciated him because they knew they too were appreciated in such a way that they not only felt they worked for him, they worked with him. Constable knew his place was to do what is right for his men in all ways; he was their commander, but it was not enough to just command.

They all had a job to do, and being the OC had its unique roles and responsibilities just like a Fitter/Armourer or Groundcrewman had theirs. He stuck up for his men, made sure morale was high, and was dedicated to duty of care. The thing about Constable was that he just understood. He understood that there is no perfect man, but perfect intentions. Everyone is fallible, and the job is made harder when there is little given to work with to fix the giant problem that was winning the day in Viet Nam. Yet, with what little was available, George Constable and his men were able to provide a constant capability for the Task Force because of the strong work ethic he both possessed and encouraged. At the end of the day, the job was done and they could have a round of beers at the boozer and get ready to face another day. He was well liked by his men and his peers and even earned a grudging respect by his superiors in Task Force HQ.

He had his duty to his men and also to his family back home in Australia. He was a loving husband and father, and to those that knew him felt his joy when he first heard of the birth of his daughter Deanne. Within a few weeks he was back in Australia to be with his family, and when he finally returned, with baby photos, he led the men in celebration.

The 23 rd of May 1968 should have been any other day. There should not have been a tear shed in 161 (Indep) Recce FLT. There should have been a dinner and drinks an unspoken ‘cheers’ for 161 getting through yet another hard day’s work in times of war.

On that day, flying a solo route-recce in a US Army loaned O-1G Bird Dog in support of a Australian convoy taking supplies to FSB Coral, MAJ G. Constable signed off to his old friend MAJ Peter Badman, the armoured commander, saying: “ Okay, you're just about there now. I'm going. See you later.”

A short time later, at about 1605hrs, MAJ G. Constable came under heavy ground-fire and was killed instantly when his aircraft crashed and exploded.

The news was broken to the flight that evening. They shared a moment’s silence, and closed the bar early in his honor. No words could have expressed the terrible and sudden loss of that evening. Nothing could have filled the gap that George Constable left. In one cruel moment, all of 161 (Indep) Recce Flight, no matter the rank, corps or mustering, lost a friend and valued leader.

Today, 161 Recce SQN has changed dramatically through its equipment, procedures and positions. It is as, if not more, a potent tool in a BDEs arsenal and a strong and willing capability. Since George Constable’s death, the squadronhas proved itself time and time again through more than 30 years of exercises and operational deployments (most notably, East Timor), and kept true to itself. The Possums got the job done consistently and efficiently, making the most of what we have.

161 Recce SQN, along with the rest of the 1st Aviation Regiment, is about to undergo yet another drastic change with a very new aircraft and an enhanced capability never before seen in the history of the Corps or the ADF in general. Standing on the threshold, we see before us the ARH set to effect how we fight wars, support our troops on the ground and defend our assets. We look to a future of more hard work to get done, different challenges to overcome and experiences to be had.

But while we look forward, we must not forget that the road ahead of us that we must tread exists because of the road others have walked before and behind us. The men in our past and our unit histories are no different to us in that they had a tough job to get through and to get the job done lessons were harshly learned, if by trial and effort or trial-by-fire. For the capability we maintained back then in South Viet Nam and the service we gave to our nation we made sacrifices and paid heavy, if not the ultimate of prices.

We cannot afford to forget who we are as a Corps. We cannot afford to forget our traditions or our heritage. We cannot and must not forget that while AAAvn is playing a huge part in today’s doctrine and tomorrow’s battlefields. Most importantly, we cannot forget the men who made what we are, are the fathers of our traditions and have done what we have done all before and in much more dire circumstances.

One man we cannot afford to have slip into the mists of time as just a name on a board with the word ‘KIA’ appearing next to it, a street-sign or a building name, is Major George Constable. He was a significant man in 161’s operational history during what was a great time of testing for the small Army Aviation capability. The time has come to give George Constable an honorific befitting of a good bloke, a great pilot and a terrific leader.

With the ARH due to enter service within a few years, it hails the turning of the page in Australian Army Aviation history, and presents us an opportunity to not only celebrate the changes and challenges laid down before us, but to also honour a great man during hardship in our past. The bringing together of past, present and future will resound throughout the entire Corps and ADF that we remember our fallen and pay tribute to their sacrifices.

Let the first operational ARH delivered to 161 st Reconnaissance Squadron have “George Constable” emblazoned upon its side so that Army Aviation can close the gap of past and present. It is an opportunity waiting for realisation that is too significant to betray. By doing so we offer ourselves the rare opportunity to endow upon ourselves a lasting tribute to our origins and sacrifices.

George Constable is a man worthy of remembering in this special manner and does pride not only unto him, but also to his family, the Aviation Corps, and those who had the honor of working with him.

Ryan Kadwell