SAF PIONEERS REMEMBER NDP 2015 MARCH

If you caught last year s National Day Parade (NDP), you would have seen the 50 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) pioneers who marched proudly in their Temasek Green uniforms in the Vintage Parade.

There was so much cheering and waving, and I felt so proud marching alongside my fellow soldiers, said Colonel (COL) (Ret) Lim Yeow Pheng as he fondly recalled the moment.

COL (Ret) Lim shared that the pioneers had plenty of time to catch up with one another and take lots of photos at the rehearsals. This led to the idea of producing a commemorative book detailing their Vintage Parade journey and the life stories and careers of the 50 SAF pioneers.

With Trailblazer Foundation as their main sponsor, the 212-page photo book titled 50 SAF Pioneers Nostalgic March 9 Aug 2015 consisted of photos from their NDP journey, important pictorial moments depicting the pioneers careers in the SAF. The book also included photos from the early days of the SAF showing the different assets which were used in the various formations.

COL (Ret) Lim, who was also the chairman of the editorial committee, said: We wanted this book to be for our children and our children's children and the future generations, so that they would know how we helped build the SAF and our nation.

Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean officiated the launch of the commemorative book at Temasek Club on 23 Jul.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Teo commended the SAF Pioneers on showing the way with their vision, fortitude and determination that laid a strong foundation for the SAF.

This commemorative book is not just a collection of memories but it also reflects certain important characteristics that made the SAF and made Singapore (what it is) today the fighting spirit, the ability to always be able to do it, whatever the odds that sense of danger and that sense of urgency to get things done. This is something which I think we sometimes miss today, said Mr Teo.

He added that the book was also a celebration of a spirit of determination and service that must be passed down to future generations: The Pioneers in the SAF answered the call in 1965 because they understood the real dangers that we faced in Singapore and they understood what needed to be done to defend Singapore, to protect us and our families, and to take us forward.

I think the reality of that possibility has to be transmitted to the next generation of the SAF and to all our people who serve, that you must be prepared to serve for something bigger than you are.

In conjunction with the book launch, 16 pioneers were also appointed as Commitment to Defence (C2D) Ambassadors. As C2D Ambassadors, these pioneers would engage SAF personnel and students to impart core values and boost community support for defence.

COL (Ret) Lim, who was among the newly-appointed ambassadors, was very excited about being appointed: I think they will benefit from our real-life experiences we can teach national servicemen and students how to look at a problem, analyse the risks involved, weigh options and decide what to do.

The 70-year-old was also part of the second batch of officers trained at SAFTI Military Institute.

Recalling his training, he said that the tough training by the Israeli soldiers whipped them into shape. Operating on just four hours of sleep, they would be up till 10pm just to straighten their uniforms and polish their boots.

A memorable incident during his days in SAFTI MI was the time he was suddenly asked to lead a platoon assault, which caught him off guard.

The platoon commander was not happy with my bunk mate (who was originally the leader) and decided that I should take over to lead the assault. As a young corporal, this came as a shock to me. After this incident, I became very alert and always stepped up to roles should they come to me, said COL (Ret) Lee.

For fellow SAF pioneer Major (MAJ) (Ret) Ibrahim bin Bulat, being a C2D ambassador for the past year had been a fruitful and meaningful journey.

The 72-year-old revealed that his engagements with the schoolchildren made him realise that most of them do not see the need for National Service: This is where we can convey our message to them. Through our past experiences such as the racial riot and Konfrontasi, said MAJ (Ret) Ibrahim.

He added that he also wanted to use the opportunity to raise the awareness of the dangers that Singapore faced today, such as the threat of terrorism.

In the spirit of giving back to the SAF, the SAF pioneers also raised funds with the production of this book. From getting sponsors for the book to the selling of tickets for the dinner at the book launch, they managed to raise a total of $100,000 for the SAF Care Fund. This amount will be matched dollar for dollar by the Ministry of Defence.

Explaining the rationale for the fundraising, COL (Ret) Lim said: The SAF was the benefactor for most of us we did not have the chance to go university and the SAF taught us many things. From character-building, self-discipline, planning and how to analyse a problem, we would not have been here today if not for the SAF.

The commemorative books were given to the 50 SAF pioneers and will also be distributed to schools and SAF units.