Thursday, July 24, 2008
When I first discovered the Chinese side of my family in 1982, I found out that I hailed from quite an amazing background. It was my Alex Hailey's Roots experience. Then my half-brothers and sisters said that I would have to write a book tracing my family tree.
Being told that I must write a book is never a compliment. It is almost consistently an assignment of a task less desired upon the less inclined by the more appropriate for the job.
However I recognise that the Royal Malaysian Air Force is negligent toward the moral duty of maintaining a log of any kind. There is none amongst the scratching of officers I am loosely acquainted with who would go near paper with a pen unless remunerations are in order. This does not leave the rest of the men as an option to keeping alive the organisation with recorded history.
The air force in 50 years has amassed a rich history of mission accomplishment and task execution which should have been parchmented for the enrichment of future generations joining the fraternity. But it has miserably failed in this area. It is clear that insofar as this purpose is concerned, the law of diminishing returns have set in at voracious velocity.
Before the irretrievable becomes the inevitable, I will in my limited remaining time in service, record my experiences, primarily for my consumption while my memory serves, though it be in fits and starts and chronological disorder. Should my progeny not be too ashamed of the wild claims they hear from their geezer, then these pages shall my testimony be. Worse, should the idea of a book become perversely appealing, then transcribing shall not unduly punish the body or mind.
This is my statement of intent. Now may all the forces of Hades break loose.
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