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Post by Chips on Jun 9, 2010 6:05:44 GMT 9.5
Sapper Darren Smith & Detector Dog Herbie Monday 7th June 2010 in Afghanistan's hot and dusty Mirabad Valley. Sapper Smith, a former South Australian, and Jacob Moerland , a Brisbane-based combat engineer, with detector dog Herbie crept forward on their route clearance ahead of an Australian Army patrol. But while they were aware of the deadly explosive, they could not have known a Taliban insurgent was tracking their every move, detonating it by remote control as they came within range.
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Post by Chips on Jun 19, 2010 17:50:14 GMT 9.5
Sapper Darren Smith spoke of family in dying minutes, funeral told By David Barbeler From: AAP June 19, 2010 2:15PM
THE funeral for an Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan has heard that as he lay dying, his sole concern was for his wife and young son.
Some 300 mourners have gathered at Marist Brothers College at Ashgrove in Brisbane to farewell Sapper Darren Smith, a 26-year-old combat engineer who died in a roadside bomb blast earlier this month.
The blast also killed Sapper Jacob Moerland, 21, and Sapper Smith's bomb detector dog, Herbie.
Among the mourners at the military funeral were Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Lord Mayor Campbell Newman.
Sapper Smith's favourite band, The Herd, flew up from Sydney at their own expense to play a touching rendition of I was only 19 for the funeral.
Lieutenant Colonel John Carey, Commanding Officer 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, told the congregation that while being carried back to base by his fellow troops in the 20 minutes following the bomb blast, all Sapper Smith talked about were his concerns for his wife Angela and their two-and-a-half-year-old son Mason.
Ms Smith, in her touching eulogy, read an extract from the last email she received from her husband.
It described the agony they both faced in having to wait another four months until they were reunited in Australia.
"What is time anyway? Maybe I'll find out when my head gets more twisted," the email read.
She then read Wystan Hugh Auden's eerily fitting poem - Stop all the Clocks - to the tear-filled mourners. Sapper Smith's dad, Graeme Smith, said he'd not only lost his son, but also his "best mate".
"Darren flew me to Darwin one night a few years back to tell me he had a surprise for me," Mr Smith told the mourners.
"That surprise was Angela."
After Sapper Smith's future bride went to bed that night, Graeme told today's gathering, the two stayed up drinking beers to celebrate "finding the one".
"After spending a few more days there I knew he was right," Graeme said.
"Mate, I promise to do everything I can to look after her and young Mason for you."
A 21-gun salute was fired before Sapper Smith's grief-stricken wife was handed the Australian flag that had been draped over his casket.
As the hearse slowly drove off, Mr Rudd got down on one knee to comfort and offer his condolences to the distressed widow.
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Post by Crystal Fox on Jun 19, 2010 18:27:19 GMT 9.5
This is such a sad story for many reasons. I do know a couple of extra things that I will not reveal that makes what happened even more sad. You are lucky you guys don't know it. Lets just say he saved his best friends life without knowing it would have needed saving. He risked his own life to save his best mate that was also his best man and he didn't even know.
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