From Turkey to Afghanistan: We will remember them

ADF Captain Joshua Fink told The AJN how he feels leading up to ANZAC Day.

I would like to start by saying that the relevance of me writing for the Australian Jewish News as a current service Jewish Australian Soldier is also somewhat irrelevant.

Whilst I was born and raised in Melbourne by Jewish parents and attended a Jewish school throughout my entire education I am first and foremost an Australian Soldier.

The Australian Army’s values of Courage, Initiative, Teamwork and Respect are the underpinning of what it means to be an Australian Soldier.

These values were instilled in me by my upbringing in a Jewish home, education at a Jewish school and being a member of Australian Society.

The thing in my mind that makes this country so great is that we value the diversity of all members of Australian society and that makes us stronger as a nation.

So when I say my being a Jewish soldier is irrelevant, I am pointing out that recognition of service and background fades into obscurity paled against the united front we present.

In 1915 the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed at ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli and laid the foundations for our traditions through their sacrifice.

The backgrounds of these soldiers were irrelevant in the face of the enemy as one united Army.

The Australian and New Zealand soldiers were most certainly a mix of native born Australian and New Zealanders and recent immigrants.

Of the native born and immigrants we could break it down into their cultural or religious background but it is again, irrelevant.

These soldiers were united in their fight against the enemy and were not concerned where you came from, what you believed in or who you prayed to, as long as you did your job.

A relevant historical example for this article is General Sir John Monash. Being a Jewish man from Melbourne who was a Colonel at the time of the Gallipoli campaign, he was instrumental in the withdrawal from the Gallipoli peninsula as his plan resulted in not a single life lost.

Later in the war he would lay forth a plan for what we recognise as the first example of Combined Arms Warfare.

His contributions to Australia were not limited to his efforts in WWI but his work as an Engineer for the city of Melbourne are also noteworthy, some of his works are still standing today.

Noting my point about being an Australian Soldier first and foremost, I would like to provide some insight into what drew me to the military.

My Paternal Grandfather, Samuel Fink, was born in Bialystok Poland and fled Europe for Australia due to the rise of Nazism.

He enlisted and served in Papua New Guinea during WWII in the Australian Army.

My Maternal Grandfather and his brother, Michael and Walter Gayst both served in the Polish Army under the Russians during WWII throughout Europe.

My Father, Peter Fink, served 4 years in the Australian Army before serving 19 years in the Australian Federal Police. In the same way that those born in Israel are surrounded by military service, so too was my family example and I was always drawn to the military.

My experience in the Australian Army has been vast and rewarding including my training at the Royal Military College – Duntroon and numerous postings around Australia.

I have an operational tour of Afghanistan in 2013 where I was a mentor to Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and National Directorate of Security personnel.

This has so far been the highlight of my career as a Jewish Australian Soldier being deployed to a Muslim nation to mentor Afghan National Security Forces in how to better do their job.

For me ANZAC Day holds as much significance as it does to the rest of the nation in that I remember those that have served and those that continue to serve.

From the original ANZACs who forged the tradition to the modern day warriors who served in the valleys of Afghanistan and now back into Iraq.

I remember those that came before with their amazing feats in battle, I remember those that trained and moulded me, I remember those that I have served with and continue to serve with but above all I remember those that have fallen. Every year since 2009 I have the privilege of attending a dawn service in Melbourne with Felix and Yvonne Sher who lost their son and my good friend Greg Sher in Afghanistan on 04 Jan 2009.

I would like to conclude by emphasising that the ANZAC traditions and ANZAC Day commemorations are important to all Australians because they embodied the best of us.

The ADF as a whole continues to embody the best of Australia and I emplore you to remember the sacrifices made by those that proudly served Australia.