Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

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fLIP

UFO Hunter
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

David Ronald Pearce, or Poppy to his fellow diggers, was a loving father, a respected leader, and above all, a good mate.

In a funeral that temporarily halted an election campaign, hundreds of mourners - including Prime Minister John Howard and Labor leader Kevin Rudd, accompanied by their wives - packed Brisbane's St Stephen's Cathedral to farewell Trooper Pearce.

The 41-year-old Gold Coast father-of-two was killed by a roadside bomb while driving a light armoured vehicle in Afghanistan's Oruzgan Province early last week.

A member of the Reconstruction Task Force, he was the first soldier to be killed by direct enemy action in the current Australian deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Trooper Pearce enlisted in the army in 2002 and was known among his colleagues as Poppy, as he was almost double the age of most of those in his Brisbane-based 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment.

Trooper Pearce's older brother Edward Pearce told mourners, the two had often spoken about the risks of overseas military service.

"I had spoken to David on many occasions about the risk of service in Iraq and Afghanistan," Mr Pearce said.

"In our discussions I asked 'What do I tell them if you don't come back?'

"He said 'Tell them I am not being sent, I want to go, I'm doing what I want to do'."

Mr Pearce asked that his brother's death not be "sensationalised", as he died doing what he lived for.

"David loved his family," Mr Pearce said.

"He loved his wife Nicole, he loved his daughters Stephanie and Hannah. They meant everything to him.

"His other love was the army. He lived for it. He loved the physical fitness and his passion for discipline, and enjoyed the mateship that only a digger can understand."

Commanding officer of the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Websdane, paid tribute to Trooper Pearce's invaluable leadership and the lessons he taught his young colleagues.

"David was highly regarded by those closest to him," Lt Col Websdane said.

"They knew when the time came they could depend on Poppy to be there for them."

Before the service - which also was attended by Defence Minister Brendan Nelson, defence force chief Air Chief Marshall Angus Houston and army chief General Peter Leahy - former Manly Sea Eagles player Ben Kennedy and his wife Emma placed a Manly scarf and jersey alongside a photo of the fallen soldier at the front of the cathedral.

Kennedy was Trooper Pearce's favourite player for his beloved NRL team, and attended the service at the request of the Pearce family and the trooper's army mates.


Trooper Pearce's coffin, draped in the Australian flag and carrying a slouch hat, was carried into the cathedral by members of his former units, accompanied by Amazing Grace on the bagpipes.

Mourners watched a video montage of family and army photos from Trooper Pearce's life on screens mounted inside the church, to the tune of John Williamson's True Blue.

Trooper Pearce's widow Nicole was presented with the flag and slouch hat, with her daughters Stephanie, 11, and Hannah, six, by her side.

Outside the church an emotional Ms Pearce received a warm hug from Mr Howard, while Mr Rudd and the remaining members of the official party also offered their condolences.

Mr Rudd told reporters later that Trooper Pearce had made an extraordinary contribution to the country.

"We honour his service, we honour his sacrifice and we honour his family, all of whom displayed great courage at an extraordinarily moving service today," he said.

A private ceremony for Trooper Pearce's family was held later in the day, where he was finally laid to rest.
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

That weasel Howard has a hide turning up there with blood on his hands and oil on his soles.
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

I wish BK could have dropped the shoulder on Howard while he was there with him.

He would have gone down quicker than a non-core promise
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

Rudd didn't send him to a war to secure the West's oil supplies.
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

The Labor party wasn't opposed to going to war at the time either.
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

Completely changed my view on the dead killer, oops I mean soldier, him being a Manly supporter and all. I wonder what team all those dead Iraqies (500.000 and still counting) might have followed, probably the bulldogs.
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

The Labor party wasn't opposed to going to war at the time either.


Turn it up!!

They have always been dead against it

I can remember that their position at the time was that they supported the troops and hoped they excelled in their work, but that they didn't think that they should be going in the first place.
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

Turn it up yourself, I think you have mistaken labors stance a year or so after they went in.
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

I think some people are mixing up Afghanistan with Iraq.

He was killed in Afghanistan, not Iraq and both the Libs and ALP support Australia's continued military involvement in Afghanistan.

http://www.alp.org.au/media/0907/msfahs020.php
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

I am fully aware he was killed in Afghanistan.

And I'm of the opinion that Afghanistan (despite all the official rhetoric about it being a "needed" war) is all about a certain pipeline from the Baltic States to the Indian Ocean.
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

You'd think the NRL would be pushing for a team from those two places in the next world cup as a means of bringing a 'Peace through League' program. Maybe Crusher should get himself over there and scout up a few of the munchkins. They'd be good at the side step, avoiding all the mines and munitions we're dumping on them.
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

Canteen, I suggested the ones that have avoided our mines, not the ones who didn't. They all look like very wirey buggars too, and with the fearsome beards they'd be awsome. Drugs could be a slight problem, but not insurmountable. They could probably bring their own.
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

Turn it up yourself, I think you have mistaken labors stance a year or so after they went in.


http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/18/1047749757036.html

Well here is what Crean said the day Howard committed us to the war

"reckless and unnecessary"

Doesn't sound like they supported it to me
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

[quote author=byso]
Turn it up yourself, I think you have mistaken labors stance a year or so after they went in.


http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/18/1047749757036.html

Well here is what Crean said the day Howard committed us to the war

"reckless and unnecessary"

Doesn't sound like they supported it to me
[/quote]


What did the ALP leader say?

What he was leader for how long 10 mins?
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

sorry I didn't realise that a statement made by the leader of the party at the time didn't count as representing the party's views at the time
 
Soldier died 'doing what he loved'

Canteen, I suggested the ones that have avoided our mines, not the ones who didn't. They all look like very wirey buggars too, and with the fearsome beards they'd be awsome. Drugs could be a slight problem, but not insurmountable. They could probably bring their own.

get your facts straight you cock smoker

if you werent so busy raping a little kid you might have realised the Australian armed forces no longer use mines and have not for a long time.

****ing tool
 
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