The Afghanistan Avenue of Honour: a refuge and a place of contemplation, sorrow and love.
Portrait of Private Benjamin Adam Chuck. Photograph courtesy of Australian Army.
A steady parade of impressive cruiser motorbikes makes its way down the street of the tropical far-north Queensland township of Yungaburra. Their destination is the shores of picturesque Lake Tinaroo, a refuge and a place of contemplation, sorrow and love: the Afghanistan Avenue of Honour.
It may appear as a discordant relationship – the powerful revs of the Harley Davidsons with the peaceful reverence of a memorial dedicated to the service and lives lost of Australian soldiers in a battle that raged for twenty years. But it is a place of solace for the Patriots Australia Military Motorcycle Club members, particularly those from the Cairns and Townsville chapters. Members are current and ex-serving members of the Army, Navy and Air Force & Allied Defence Forces. The Cairns and Townsville chapters’ annual charity run (or ride, if you like) has contributed over $20,000 to support the Afghanistan Avenue of Honour.
The Avenue was inspired by a suggestion to create of a “living avenue of trees on the Tinaburra Peninsula to represent every digger we have lost in the Afghanistan Campaign”. It was made reality by Gordon and Susan Chuck, the parents of Private Benjamin Adam Chuck, 2 Commando Regiment. Private Chuck was serving with the Special Operations Task Group when he lost his life in a helicopter crash on Monday, 21 June 2010, aged 27.
“The impact of my son’s death while serving as a Commando in Afghanistan was profound and lasting, and took me to a place so deep, so dark I struggled to surface anything like the person I was. Nothing can prepare you for such a blow, nothing can shield you from the aftermath.”
Gordon Chuck
The Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR) in Afghanistan from August to September 2011. Photographer: Gary Ramage
Australian and Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers enter the Shahadi-E-Hasas district centre during an ANA planned and led patrol. Photographer: Gary Ramage
President of the Afghanistan Avenue of Honour Association, Craig Reedman, knows too well the need to have a place to grieve and heal. Reedman served in Afghanistan as a Corporal in the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment. “I have lost count of the amount of times I have been mowing or tending to the memorial and I will see a bloke sitting on a bike or a car. I’ll go over and he’ll be in tears.” Reedman says that once they realise that he had similar experiences, they will open up.
“It is cathartic for me. That’s what memorials are. A place of healing”.
For many serving, back-to-back missions prevent opportunities to grieve the loss of those they served with. Coming to the Afghanistan Avenue of Honour is their first step in processing the grief.
The Afghanistan Avenue of Honour is one of the 12,000 memorials recorded on Places of Pride, the National Register of War Memorials
Ten years ago, the Patriots held the inaugural charity run, with more than 100 riders who raised more than $3,000. Local businesses and community members continue to support the annual run. Community support for the management and maintenance of memorials is echoed across Australia.
The Afghanistan Avenue of Honour is one of over 12,000 memorials registered on Places of Pride, the National Register of War Memorials, an Australian War Memorial website, recording the locations, photos and stories of memorials nationwide.
Afghanistan Avenue of Honour
About the author
Terri-Anne Simmonds
Terri-Anne is responsible for the Memorial's digital products and services. She is interested in the way Australians commemorate across the country and the memorials that represent commemoration.
