His Excellency Anthony Carmona delivered the following speech last month at a Banquet on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the RAFA (Royal Air Forces Association) Trinidad and Tobago at The Wardroom, Staubles Bay, Chaguaramas.
I join with you, the officers and members of the Trinidad and Tobago Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association, in celebrating your Diamond Jubilee. It is certainly no small feat for any organisation, particularly a charity organisation, to attain this historic milestone. My wife and I are also delighted to be patrons of these 60th anniversary celebrations and I am thankful for the opportunity being given to me to speak this afternoon.
Sixty years ago, in what was then colonial Trinidad and Tobago, our local Branch was founded mainly by persons who fought in World Wars I and II. I am told that of the 182 citizens who lost their lives, no fewer than 52 served in the Royal Air Force. I am ever mindful of the significant contribution made by citizens of Trinidad and Tobago during those world wars and successive conflicts serving in the Royal Air Force. Historical records and accounts speak well of their exceptional ability, courage and dedication.
It is indeed commendable that those who returned after the victory of WWII formed this organisation to seek one another's interests and welfare, in particular, and that of the greater society in general. Through the sustained dedication and commitment of the members of the T&T Branch of the RAFA, over the decades, airmen, airwomen and even citizens who may never have served in the armed forces have benefited in times of need.
I am aware that this evening's banquet is just one of the many activities planned for your 60th anniversary celebrations this year and include, inter alia, a church service and a parade for the dedication of a new Branch Standard and the laying-up of the old, as well as a gala concert by local artistes and military bands.
You have my full support in your thrust to educate and sensitise the public to our military past, our military personnel and their achievements and contributions. It is a tragedy of our time that the older generation has not been fulsome or successful in its efforts to make the younger generation aware and appreciative of our shared history and of the accomplishments of the many citizens who have served with distinction, and contributed not only to this country, but to the world.
I would like, in this regard, to take this opportunity to introduce an initiative which I will be embarking upon as Commander-in-Chief. I have already engaged in discussions with Major General Kenrick Maharaj, Chief of Defence Staff, with the aim of reinvigorating Gaylord Kelshall's dream and reality of a Chaguaramas Military History and Aviation Museum. This museum, first opened in 1992, is a rich repository in the main of military artifacts used by soldiers, sailors and airmen in World Wars I and II and also treats with the history of civil aviation in our country.
This project is with a view to add to the existing training and education and edification of the wider society of Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force personnel in the area of the historical aspect of our wartime involvement. It is also intended to make the museum more attractive to visitors, who already pay a fee to visit.
We are more than limbo and dance. We have men of courage who have paid the ultimate price and we need to stand proud and demonstrate this in real terms.
Your plans for increased youth involvement in this 60th anniversary year also augur well for renewed and heightened interest in not only our military history, but also potentially in serving in our Defence Force. The proposed launch of the Pathfinder project to assist 13-17 year olds with career guidance, in addition to your plans to introduce young people to the sports of fencing and dragonboat racing will also allow for that helpful interface which is the starting point for all real and lasting change.
Very closely aligned with your 60th anniversary activities is the theme of your anniversary celebrations, "Heroes of our nation–non nobis sed vobis–60 years of honourable service". I understand that "Non Nobis Sed Vobis" is, in fact, the motto of the Royal Air Forces Association and by extension, that of your branch.
Being a hero is difficult. Finding a hero is even more difficult. And what exactly is a hero? We would certainly do well to bring to mind persons such as Air Vice-Marshall Claude Vincent who was born in Belmont, Captain Edmond Farfan and Dr Steven Blizzard. These were men who left their mark in the annals of military history.
Consider our current RAFA President Justice Squadron Leader Phillip L Ulric Cross ORTT, CMTT, DSO, DFC, who flew 80 missions over Germany and occupied Europe, in Pathfinder "Mosquito" planes, during WWII, when only 30 missions were required of him, who later held the position of Chief Liaison Officer for Demobilization of all Colonial Forces, who subsequently went on to serve as a Judge in Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania and the Trinidad and Tobago Court of Appeal, subsequently taking up appointments as ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago to Germany, France and Norway and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Justice Ulric Cross never ceased making whatever contribution he could, making full use of his time, his gifts and his experience in our twin-island state.In 1999, when asked why he joined the Royal Air Force, Justice Ulric Cross was reported to have said, "...by 1941, Britain stood alone. Dunkirk had been a defeat for Britain and Hitler had conquered all of Europe. The world was drowning in fascism and America was not yet in the war, so I decided to do something about it and volunteered to fight in the RAF."
Simply put, young Phillip Louis Ulric Cross in his early 20s volunteered to lay down his life against fascism and bigotry because he saw a need to "do something about it." I believe that it was on that day, he volunteered and not the day he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Distinguished Flying Service Medal that Justice Cross earned the right to be considered a hero. He determined that the cause was worth the risk and that his own life was a price worth paying.
Others were not so fortunate. I heard a small anecdote, sitting next to Officer Rodulfo, about one Captain James Hyde, his uncle, his mother's brother, his mother's eldest brother, an uncle he never knew. In meeting with Justice Cross one day, when Justice Cross found out that he (Rodulfo) was the nephew of James Hyde, he took out a picture and showed Rodulfo his uncle, a man he never knew.
And there was this picture of Captain Hyde with a small dog and that dog was his companion when he went out to war. Justice Ulric Cross told him, "When your uncle died, he was shot down. My plane was right behind him. I saw him, with his plane, crash to the ground." And Rodulfo told me, and, if I may be familiar with you Sir, that, in fact, his blood literally crawled.
You see, heroism is also not restricted to military environments and wartime battles. US tennis champion and Grand Slam holder Arthur Ashe once said, "True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost." In this light, the majority of our heroes remain unsung.
These are people who get on with the matter of daily living, with little or no recognition, making a difference because they are committed to serving to their fellow man, "at whatever cost". These are persons who demonstrate courage by considering the lives and the welfare of others as equal to or greater than their own.
Before closing, it would be remiss of me not to mention those budding heroes of the Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard, our own Air Force; which, I am told, is the youngest Air Force in the Commonwealth. They are fortunate to have heroes like Justice Ulric Cross.
They are fortunate to have heroes, right now, who are here in their midst, and many more who practise and leave us, or in the case of those who have left us, who have practised and have left us a legacy of patriotism, bravery, dedication and honour that you will all do well to follow as you all make your own unique contributions to this blessed Republic.
I genuinely salute you the members of the Royal Air Forces Association and I wish you God's continued blessings in your endeavour.