All Kokoda People Must Benefit – by Maclaren Jude Hiari MBE:
Thursday, July 3rd, 2008Papua New Guinea war historian, Maclaren Jude Hiari MBE, is currently researching and documenting the recollections of war experiences of native carriers, medical orderlies, policemen and soldiers during World War Two in Papua New Guinea, particularly the Kokoda Trial and the ‘Bloody’ Buna Campaigns. Using this research, he has also been making representations to both the Australian and the Papua New Guinea Governments to recognise and honour the sacrifices made by some of these “Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels”.
In this article, he talks about the sufferings and sacrifices made by these ‘forgotten’ “Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels” during the Kokoda Trail Battle which have been unheard of, and which are not recognized and recorded by Australians, and about the background history on the establishment of the Kokoda Living Memorial by the Australian Government in 1995. He also talks about the need for any overseas aid planned for 18,000 Kokoda people to be channelled to all of them, not just those Biage, and Koiari along the Kokoda Trail, and the few around Kokoda Town. (more…)