Daily Mercury
May 16, 2008
WHEN Marty McCarthy steps off the plane in Cambodia on Sunday, he's hoping to lay to rest ghosts from his past.
The 64-year-old Vietnam veteran from Airlie Beach will spend three weeks helping remove land mines from outside the city of Siem Reap.
He is joining his war mate Neil Anthony "Bomber" Bower-Miles who helped form the Vietnam Veterans Mine Clearing Team.
Mr McCarthy and "Bomber" served with the Australian military as members of the Royal Australian Engineers in the 1970s.
As engineers based near the land mine-littered Vietnamese village of Phuk Tue, on hands and knees they had to prod the ground with a bayonet and mark a safe path to and around casualties to enable medics to get in and treat the wounded.
Haunted by the vivid memories of the carnage and human suffering he saw, Mr McCarthy said helping clear land mines in Cambodia was something he had thought hard and long about.
"Understandably my wife and children would rather I stayed at home," he said
"But I'm hoping that by helping save the children in Cambodia, my life will come full circle.
"Little children will always explore and wander and are unable to comprehend the real danger mines pose to them.
"It's tragic to hear about so many kids with prosthetic limbs."
Mr McCarthy said land mines were cleared using a purpose-built mine detector from Australian company Minelabs.
"Bomber has taken seven detectors to Cambodia in the past and four more this month," he said.
"They're capable of detecting all metal and minimum metal mines at full sensitivity."
Accidental First Aid Supplies donated $1500 of equipment, after hearing about Mr McCarthy plan on radio.
The material will make up emergency kits for McCarthy's expedition.
May 16, 2008
WHEN Marty McCarthy steps off the plane in Cambodia on Sunday, he's hoping to lay to rest ghosts from his past.
The 64-year-old Vietnam veteran from Airlie Beach will spend three weeks helping remove land mines from outside the city of Siem Reap.
He is joining his war mate Neil Anthony "Bomber" Bower-Miles who helped form the Vietnam Veterans Mine Clearing Team.
Mr McCarthy and "Bomber" served with the Australian military as members of the Royal Australian Engineers in the 1970s.
As engineers based near the land mine-littered Vietnamese village of Phuk Tue, on hands and knees they had to prod the ground with a bayonet and mark a safe path to and around casualties to enable medics to get in and treat the wounded.
Haunted by the vivid memories of the carnage and human suffering he saw, Mr McCarthy said helping clear land mines in Cambodia was something he had thought hard and long about.
"Understandably my wife and children would rather I stayed at home," he said
"But I'm hoping that by helping save the children in Cambodia, my life will come full circle.
"Little children will always explore and wander and are unable to comprehend the real danger mines pose to them.
"It's tragic to hear about so many kids with prosthetic limbs."
Mr McCarthy said land mines were cleared using a purpose-built mine detector from Australian company Minelabs.
"Bomber has taken seven detectors to Cambodia in the past and four more this month," he said.
"They're capable of detecting all metal and minimum metal mines at full sensitivity."
Accidental First Aid Supplies donated $1500 of equipment, after hearing about Mr McCarthy plan on radio.
The material will make up emergency kits for McCarthy's expedition.
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