Tribute to terrorism victim
Phillip Coorey
March 11, 2011
TOWARDS the end of her speech, Julia Gillard told how a group of Australians spent two months in New York in 1998 to learn how to deal with a terrorist attack at the Sydney Olympics.
Close friendships were forged, and at the end, an Australian military officer, Warwick Penrose, swapped his slouch hat for a New York Fire Department helmet signed by 16 of the city's finest.
One of the signatories was Kevin Dowdell. Three year later, he died in the September 11 attacks. No trace of his body was ever found.
Last year Mr Penrose's mother, who lives in Gympie, read in the paper how a local firefighter, Rob Frey, was to run in an Australian-American firefighters ''Tour of Duty'' marathon from Los Angeles to New York to honour those who died in 2001.
She showed Mr Frey the helmet. He noticed Mr Dowdell's signature and discovered he was the father of fellow Tour of Duty participant James Dowdell. The helmet was presented to James Dowdell at a ceremony last August.
''Rob came to America to give James the helmet his father signed. A precious possession. A last link to a father lost,'' Ms Gillard told Congress.
Mr Dowdell and Mr Frey were sitting in the gallery. They rose, Mr Dowdell clutching the helmet, to a standing ovation.
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