By John Telfer
(SUBHEAD)
Donald Patrick Stewart, 10 June 1940 – 17 March 2022.
“THE LOCKHEED LEGEND”
On Thursday 24th March 2022, a large gathering of the Stewart family and many of his friends saw the last flight of the RAAF’s (Royal Australian Air Force) “Lockheed Legend”, a sobriquet given to him by his many colleagues who flew with him during the Vietnam war.
Here is a tribute to Donald Patrick Stewart, a local lad and a great Australian, who survived the Vietnam war and was farewelled with a military funeral at the Warwick cemetery.
Donald “Don” Stewart was born at the Queensland country town of Dirranbandi on the 10th June 1940, the youngest in a family of four children to Clyde and Myra Stewart that included sisters Shirly and Shelia, and brother Peter.
Don’s father ran the local cinema in Dirranbandi before the family moved to the small town of Allora on the Darling Downs to operate the cinema there.
Don and his siblings received their education at the small St. Patrick’s Convent School in Allora, with Don passing the State Scholarship examination in 1945 before attending Downlands College in Toowoomba where he finished his year 10 intermediate certificate two years later.
Soon after, Don, who always had an ambition to fly, joined the Royal Australian Air Force on 19th August 1957 with his parent’s written permission, almost after completing his year 10 to be trained as a radio technician.
After initial training at the RAAF School of Radio in Ballarat, he served at RAAF bases at Womera and Amberley.
Still having a burning ambition to fly but lacking the necessary education to be trained as a pilot, Don bided his time and was later accepted to undertake a
Signaller’s course, which he successfully passed, and was posted to No 10 Squadron at Townsville in October 1962 as a crew member on Neptune maritime aircraft doing coastal surveillance in Australia’s north.
This did not deter Don from his ambition to be a pilot as he said: “After my first trip to Vietnam, I got sick of sitting down the back of the aircraft, I would rather be flying the thing.”
So, after logging over 2,000 hours in a Neptune bomber as a Signaller and also gaining a commission, it gave him the qualification to apply for pilot training.
In the meantime, Don went home to Allora for Christmas leave in 1963 and met a young, attractive girl named Dalmay at a dance.
After a courtship of only a few months, they were married in St. Patricks Church at Allora in September 1964.
They had three children in Donna, Michael and Paul.
In October 1967, Don got his wish and began training at No 1 Basic Flying School at Point Cook in Victoria, and finally graduated as a pilot at the Advance Flying Training School in Perth West Australia on the 15th July 1968.
Don’s next posting was to No 36 Squadron at Richmond to undertake training in the new C130 Lockheed Hercules transport aircraft.
It was here that Don gained the nickname of “The Lockheed Legend” while flying in and out of hostile environments in Vietnam and other South East countries, often briefed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as to what dangers to avoid.
He did this until 1972, before being posted to ground duties at RAAF Academy Point Cook until 13th January 1975 for a short break, before once again resuming pilot duties with No 37 Squadron until 1979, and was promoted to Squadron Leader.
After further postings to ground duties at RAAF Bases Glenbrook and Richmond from 1980 to 1983, the family moved to Hobartville until Don decided to take his discharge from the RAAF at Richmond on 18th January 1984.
Now in civilian life, Don took up a position after discharge from the RAAF with Qantas as a Chief Simulator Instructor, but with not much flying.
Homesick for Queensland, he and Dell then decided to move back to Warwick which was closer to their home town of Allora, where their life journey began. Don’s last words on his career in the Air Force was, “I loved the RAAF; some days I wish I could go back and do it all again”.
Don and Dell lived in quite retirement in Warwick with Don joining the Southern Downs Ex-Services Association where he served time as Treasurer, before illness forced him to give that up.
From 2001, when Don developed Parkinson’s disease, he fought the condition courageously for years until 2019, when he became a full care patient at Regency Park Respite Care attended by Dell until he finally passed on.
Don Stewart never gave up and even in his final two weeks, kept fighting.
He was well attended by Dell and his family and was given a beautiful funeral at the Warwick cemetery.
Don was a true legend, not only in the air force but to his loving family.
Fly high old friend, I am sure a squadron of angels will meet you and escort you into the pearly gates.
Perhaps this obituary could finally end with these endearing words dedicated to Don when it said:
“The whole earth is the sepulchre of heroes. Monuments may rise and tablets be set up to them, but on far off shores there is an abiding Monument that no pen or chisel has traced. It is graven not in stone or brass, but on the living heart of humanity. Wherefore I will not condole with the parents and relatives of our
Illustrious dead. I will rather bid them lift up their hearts.” (Pericles, in his oration to the Athenians slain in battle)
