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New York Times

On October 4, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a rare and highly charged Friday sermon, defending recent missile strikes on Israel and hailing the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on southern Israel. In his address, Khamenei declared that Israel’s existence “won’t last long,” while labelling the actions of Iran-backed militant groups as both “logical and legal.”

The sermon, delivered at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla mosque, marked Khamenei’s first Friday sermon in nearly five years. Addressing tens of thousands, the Supreme Leader spoke in Arabic, focusing on the endurance of the so-called “axis of resistance” against Israel. Standing with a rifle in hand—a powerful symbol of defiance—he emphasized Iran’s unwavering stance. The crowd frequently erupted in chants of “death to America,” a recurring slogan in such gatherings.

Khamenei celebrated the October 7 attack on Israel as a rightful and proportionate response. He called the invasion and subsequent missile strikes “logical and legal” under both international and Islamic law. The assault, which escalated the ongoing Gaza conflict, was described by Khamenei as the “minimum punishment” for what he viewed as Israeli aggression.

The Supreme Leader’s speech also resonated beyond Iran, with direct calls to countries across the region, from Afghanistan to Yemen, to take action against Israel. Khamenei specifically praised Hezbollah, Hamas, and other allied groups for their “fierce defence” of Palestinian territory, mentioning the commemoration of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Khamenei’s rhetoric centred on the idea that Israel would never defeat Iran-backed groups, regardless of recent setbacks. His words were designed to boost morale among both domestic supporters and regional allies. However, this defiant tone has deepened concerns of a broader, more destructive regional war that could involve multiple countries beyond Israel and the Palestinian territories.

• A staggering 99% of people born between 1930 and 1946 (GLOBALLY) are now dead.
• If you were born in this time span, your ages range between 77 and 93 years old (a 16-year age span) and you are one of the rare surviving one-percenters.
• You are the smallest group of children born since the early 1900’s.
• You are the last generation, climbing out of the depression, who can remember the winds of war and the impact of a world at war that rattled the structure of our daily lives for years.
• You are the last to remember ration books for everything from tea to sugar to shoes.
• You saved tin foil and poured fried meat fat into cans.
• You can remember milk being delivered to your house early in the morning and placed in the “milk box” at the front door.
• Discipline was strictly enforced by parents and teachers.
• You are the last generation who spent childhood without television and instead, you “imagined” what you heard on the radio.
• With no TV, you spent your childhood “playing outside”. There was no city playground for kids.
• The lack of television in your early years meant that you had little real understanding of what the world was like.
• We got “black-and-white” TV in the late 50s that had 3 stations and no remote.
• Telephones (if you had one) were one to a house and hung on the wall in the kitchen (who cares about privacy).
• Computers were called calculators; they were hand-cranked.
• Typewriters were driven by pounding fingers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ribbon. INTERNET and GOOGLE were words that did not exist.
• Newspapers and magazines were written for adults and your dad would give you the comic pages after he read the news.
• The news was broadcast on your radio in the evening. The radio network gradually expanded from 3 stations to thousands.
• New highways would bring jobs and mobility. Most highways were 2 lanes and there were no Motorways.
• You went to the city to shop.
• You walked to school and back.
• Your parents were suddenly free from the confines of the depression and the war, and they threw themselves into working hard to make a living for their families.
• You weren’t neglected, but you weren’t today’s all-consuming family focus.
• They were glad you played things like Fiddle Sticks, Grab, Monopoly, Marbles, and Jacks by yourselves. They were busy discovering the postwar world.
• You entered a world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where you were welcomed, enjoyed yourselves.
• You felt secure in your future, although the depression and poverty were deeply remembered.
• Polio was still a crippler. Everyone knew someone who had it.
• You are the last generation to experience an interlude when there were no threats to our country. World War 2 was over and the cold war, terrorism, global warming, and perpetual economic insecurity had yet to haunt life.
• Only your generation can remember a time after WW2 when our world was secure and full of bright promise and plenty.
• You grew up at the best possible time, a time when the world was getting better.
• More than 99% of you are retired now, and you should feel privileged to have “lived in the best of times!”
• If you have already reached the age of 77 years old, you have outlived 99% of all the other people on this planet. You are a 1% ‘er!

Story by Tim Barlass – SMH

Many families are feeling the current financial pressures but such is the state of the economy that Victoria Cross recipient and Afghanistan veteran Daniel Keighran has decided to sell all his medals.

“A man selfless in the face of threat. Courageous in the face of terror. Generous in the face of suffering. And humble in the face of an honour bestowed.”

Words used by former governor-general Quentin Bryce to describe Corporal Daniel Keighran when she pinned his Victoria Cross for Australia on his army uniform in 2012.

But just 12 years later, Keighran, aged 41, has decided to sell his medals to pay for schooling and finances for his growing family. Sydney auction house Noble Numismatics will catalogue the group of 12 medals in its November auction with an estimate of $1.25 million. The sale is expected to attract international interest, although the VC will not be allowed to leave the country.

Keighran worked in Kalgoorlie in Western Australia in the mining industry in 2015 after his military service. He now lives in Brisbane with his partner.

“We are a family of five – me and my partner who has a 13-year-old daughter and a nine-year-old boy from a previous relationship, and my boy, aged seven, with my ex-wife. It’s a little blended family.

“It hasn’t been a decision [to sell] made lightly, my partner and I had a discussion. There’s a few family members whose health wasn’t amazing. My mum is 80 this year. I am fortunate in that I earn a pretty good wage, but things are pretty tough out there.

“I managed to buy her a place. The reason for getting rid of the medal is to look after my own family. It would afford the opportunity for schooling and for a place for us to live as a family as well. Times are tough, things are hard, especially for a family of five, as others out there could relate to as well.”

Of the estimate of $1.25 million, he added: “It is three-quarters of a house, it depends on where you buy in Brisbane, paid off straight away. I thought if I put it up for auction I can take my foot off the accelerator pedal a little bit and I can spend some quality time with the people I care about the most.”

And plans to marry his partner of two years? “Yeah, one day. Let’s not announce anything yet. Don’t give her any ideas! We will, without doubt, get married. We have spoken about it, but not yet.”

The VC has been on permanent display at the Australian War Memorial since 2012. Keighran wore it once two years ago at a Remembrance Service in Canberra because he forgot his medals and the War Memorial loaned it to him for the morning.

The citation for the VC says: “For the most conspicuous acts of gallantry and extreme devotion to duty in action in circumstances of great peril at Derapet, Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, as part of the Mentoring Task Force One on Operation SLIPPER.”

Keighran deployed to Afghanistan in February 2010 with the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and on August 24, 2010, he was a member of a patrol that came under sustained machine-gun attack.

The auction catalogue states: “Corporal Keighran’s acts of the most conspicuous gallantry to repeatedly expose himself to accurate and intense enemy fire, thereby placing himself in grave danger, ultimately enabled the identification and suppression of enemy firing positions by both Australian and Afghan fire support elements. These deliberate acts of exceptional courage in circumstances of great peril were instrumental in permitting the withdrawal of the combined Australian and Afghan patrol with no further casualties.”

Keighran’s wasn’t the first Australian VC. It was preceded by Mark Donaldson (2008) and Ben Roberts-Smith (2010), but it was the first awarded to a non-special forces soldier.

There is speculation that philanthropist Lord Ashcroft, former Treasurer and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party in the UK, who has a collection of some 230 VCs could be among those bidding. Jim Noble of Noble Numismatics said: “It is a great opportunity for someone to own something very special – and it was won by someone who didn’t end up getting killed in the process.”

Of the decision in September by Defence Minister Richard Marles to strip distinguished service medals from commanding officers who held senior roles during the war in Afghanistan as recommended by the Brereton inquiry into alleged war crimes by Australian troops, Keighran said he was “a little surprised by the timing”.

“The timing was pretty poor in relation to the timing of the announcement by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. I found it quite bizarre I must admit. I know a couple of individuals because I served with them. Those that did the wrong thing should rightly be pursued and prosecuted but, my goodness, the veteran community has been treated bloody terribly by some.”

Keighran added of receiving the VC: “It upended my life. It changed my life immeasurably, from the direction of I suppose my life was heading in working in the mines to then have the opportunity to go and do my masters in business through knowing people and now I am working at an executive level for a multinational [in the defence industry].

Would he change what he did on that day in 2010? “I’ve got a son now and you look at things differently from a risk perspective, but I would like to think I’m still the same person,” he said. “I saw my team in need and I acted appropriately. I thought I’d do everything I possibly could to save their lives and I think I’d probably do the same to this day.”

And of the future ownership of his VC? “The AWM is the right place for it. Knowing that that is where it has spent its entire life, obviously with it going to auction I would like it to go back there, but I have no say on that.”

During the Vietnam War – following the June 1969 engagement at Binh Ba village (in which the 33^rd NVA Regiment and the D440 VC Battalion engaged 5RAR/1 ATF armour and RF/PF/PSDF), in excess of 50 NVA/VC dead were buried in a pit/grave dug by a 17 Construction Squadron (RAE) D2 bulldozer near the village school – see AWM photograph P08610.009 below. On 8 June 1969, at the grave site, Major Rex Rowe (1 Fd Sqn RAE) spoke some “simple words of final committal” in the presence of his sappers of 1 Field Squadron and 17 Construction Squadron before a small D2 bulldozer covered the bodies.

Post-War – in 1986, the Vietnamese authorities disinterred bodies from the Binh Ba “school” burial pit, and the recovered remains were reburied in the Baria Cemetery.

Recently, the Vietnamese “Ban Chi Dao (515) Baria-Vung  Tau” (“515 Guidance Group Baria-Vung  Tau”) began a search for other June 1969-era grave sites/pits in Binh Ba in which NVA/VC bodies were buried following the June 1969 battle. They are seeking information from Australian Vietnam veterans on graves/burials in Binh Ba in June 1969 – additional to the “school site” burial – including any dug by Vietnamese RF, PF, PSDF, RD Cadre etc in Binh Ba.

If possible, Ernie Chamberlain (1969-70 Vietnam veteran – who is providing information to the 515 Guidance Group), would also like to identify and contact the 1 ATF officer – carrying an M-16, (?) in the left foreground of the attached AWM photograph P08610.009.

If you can assist with information, please contact Ernie Chamberlain at:  [email protected]  .

Frontline – Ray Payne OAM

I can’t believe that in our country, we’re seeing terrorist symbols, such as the Hezbollah flag, being waved openly on our streets, and nothing is being done to stop this criminal behaviour. It’s outrageous. We have strong laws in place to prevent this, laws that specifically make it illegal to support or display symbols associated with terrorist organizations. Under the Criminal Code Act 1995, it is an offense to be associated with or provide support to a listed terrorist organization, which Hezbollah undeniably is. Section 102.1 of the Act makes it clear that such acts are punishable by law.

But where is the action? Where is Anthony Albanese, our Prime Minister? His leadership is nowhere to be seen when it comes to enforcing these laws. His reluctance to take a firm stance and condemn the public display of terrorist symbols is dangerous for all Australians. Is he too afraid to act because of political considerations? Is he more worried about losing votes from the growing Muslim political movement than protecting our national security?

Albanese’s failure to send a clear and strong message to the Australian people is unacceptable. He should be out there, front and centre, making it known that we will not tolerate any support for terrorism in our country. We need a leader who isn’t afraid to uphold the law and protect our communities from the influence of extremist ideologies.

Albanese is failing us all. It’s time for real leadership, and Australia deserves better.

Picture: The Virginia-class attack submarine Minnesota (SSN 783) is under construction at Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Newport News Shipbuilding/Released)

And on the 8th day, God created seniors. Most seniors never get enough exercise. In His wisdom, God decreed that seniors become forgetful so they would have to search for their eyeglasses, keys, and other things, thus doing more walking. And God looked down and saw that it was good.

Then God saw there was another need. In His wisdom He made seniors lose coordination so they would drop things, requiring them to bend, reach, and stretch more. And God looked down and saw that it was good.

Then God considered the function of bladders and decided seniors would have additional calls of nature, requiring more trips to the bathroom, thus providing more exercise. God looked down and saw that it was good.

So, if you find, as you age, you are getting up and down a lot more times, remember it’s God’s will. It is all in your best interest even though you mutter under your breath.

Nine Important Facts to Remember as We Grow Older:

#9 Death is the number 1 killer in the world.

#8 Life is sexually transmitted.

#7 Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

#6 Men have two motivations: hunger and sex, and they can’t tell them apart. If you see a gleam in his eyes, make him a sandwich.

#5 Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to use the Internet and they won’t bother you for weeks, or months, maybe they won’t bother you for years.

#4 Health nuts will feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital, dying of nothing.

#3 All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

#2 In the ’60s, people took LSD to make the world weird. Now the world is weird, and people take Prozac to make it normal.

#1 Life is like a jar of jalapeno peppers. What you do today may be a burning issue tomorrow.

Please share this wisdom with others; I would do it now, but I need to go to the bathroom.

*************************************************************************

My comment – now you understand please show greater respect for your elders

Bob Buick

Mountain Creek Qld 4557

The Guest speaker at the June 2024 meeting of the Naval Historical Society of Australia – Victoria Chapter was Mr Craig Monahan, an accomplished Screen Writer, Director and Producer. Craig’s enduring interest and admiration for those involved in the story of HMAS Armidale now includes an ambition to produce a high-quality feature length documentary covering the story of the Armidale in 1942 and the many facets of this extraordinary tale that long remained hidden. His presentation deals with his quest for this story – an important part of the RAN’s wartime history – to be told more effectively to a wider Australian and international audience through the film medium.

Slashgear – By Chris Littlechild

Those who have only flown in the likes of Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s may never have even seen them in action, propellers are still an important part of aviation and have powered (and continue to power) some truly formidable aircraft. The C-130 military transport is just one example.

The C-130 Hercules, as its name suggests, is a hefty, powerful aircraft, had its prototype take its first flight in 1954 and provided the U.S. Armed Forces some crucial versatility. Not only can it pack a significant 44,000 lb payload in its largest variant, but it was also specialized for airlifting purposes, giving it the kind of utility to serve its purpose that aircraft with 132-foot wingspans can’t typically muster. It’s not as large as the vast C-5M Super Galaxy, but it’s an Air Force icon nonetheless. It’s powered by four turboprop engines, a unique system that means it utilizes propellers but is still powered by a jet engine.

The most notable thing about Lockheed Martin’s Hercules, looking at its exterior (aside from its imposing dimensions), is its propellers. These have been a prominent feature since the very first guise of the aircraft, which boasted Curtis-Wright crafted propellers. This is quite an unusual system in an aircraft of its type, but the long-serving Hercules derives some important benefits from it. Let’s take a closer look at the engines that power the C-130, how they work, and exactly what the turboprop setup has to offer a machine of this type.

A turboprop engine will fly more efficiently than an equivalent turbojet engine during slower flights at a lower altitude. A turboprop engine system features propellers, which generate thrust by changing the air flow through their action, which propels the aircraft forward. Conventional jet engines instead produce that thrust through the use of a turbine and compressed air. The compressed air is combined with fuel and introduced to a flame, blasting the aircraft forward as the gas is expelled out of the turbine. The laws of aerodynamics themselves reduce the top speed propeller-driven aircraft can achieve, and their limited relative thrust means that they tend to cruise at lower altitude.

Fuel efficiency, though, is a matter of designing an aircraft to best suit its purpose, to spend as much of its time in the air as possible in its most efficient operating conditions. This, then, is essentially why the Hercules was fitted with turboprops: It isn’t a slender and stealthy fighter jet that can scream around at Mach 4 or so for short, fuel-costly bursts, but a workhorse designed for the transport and airdropping of heavy cargo loads across longer distances. Turboprops also have the advantage of lower relative weights and the capacity to use shorter runways, huge boons in aircraft of this size. Fuel costs are a huge concern for aircraft. This is ultimately why the makers of the C-130 Hercules are proponents of the propeller, even with the AC-130 gunship variant.

In September 2022, Air Mobility Command was forced to ground a sizable fleet of some C-130H aircraft – an Allison T56-A-15-equipped variant introduced in June of 1974 – when the barrels of its propellers were deemed potentially defective. Nonetheless, overall, the turboprop engines were deemed to be the practical choice for this aircraft family, primarily for reasons of weight and power.

The Hercules was always going to be quite the heavyweight. The C-130J’s hefty 164,000 lb max take-off weight, in combination with its formidable dimensions in any variation, meant that matters of fuel efficiency and performance were paramount. The aforementioned Allison T56 engine offered the primary advantages of being lighter and having a more efficient power output on top of a greater range.

The result of this is a reduction in fuel use and a sign of the virtues that the C-130 would continue to display:  In 2014, the C-130H first flew with a quartet of Series 3.5 Rolls-Royce T56 engines. This powertrain, Rolls-Royce boasted, could keep its turbines much cooler and was around 13% more efficient with its fuel use. While fighter jets might use conventional jet engines as they favour speed, turboprop engines aren’t as fast (offering around 300 knots less maximum speed relatively) but perform better at lower speeds more suited for carrying heavy loads. The C-130J, the fastest variant, topping out at 417 mph, is a perfect example.