The Shoalhaven's only Indigenous soldier from World War One, Ernest Licey, finally has a fitting resting place.
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For many years his grave was a patch of grass in the Nowra Cemetery and he did not even have a headstone.
A man who fought on the Western Front for his country deserved better.
Private Ernest Licey, thanks to a historian, a group of local ex-servicemens and the Keith Payne VC Veterans benefit group, now has a grave worthy of such a man.
A well-attended service to right this wrong for Private Licey was recently held at the Nowra Cemetery.
Wreck Bay residents Eileen Hampton and Paul McLeod spoke at the service.
Aunty Eileen said it was great to see Ernest Licey get the respect he deserved. She described him as a quiet man and remembers his wonderful garden in Wreck Bay.
Uncle Paul said he was proud to stand alongside the other elders to acknowledge a man like Ernest Licey.
Uncle Tom Moore also paid his respects.
"It's important we never forget their sacrifice and it's important he (Ernest Licey) is given due honour," Uncle Tom said.
About Ernest Licey
Ernest Licey, serial number 6085, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force First AIF on August 15 1916.
He was 18-years-of-age.
Ernest Licey was determined to serve his country and had tried to enlist under several other names.
During training before going to France, his C.O. wrote that he was unlikely to make an efficient soldier, but he nevertheless served with distinction and came home safe.
Returning from the war in June 1917 aboard HMAS Runic, after being medically discharged, he again re-enlisted in September 1918.
For his service to his country, he was awarded the 1914-1918 War Medal and the 1914-1919 Victory Medal.
He returned home to live in Wreck Bay.
He passed away on June 21, 1957, aged 63-years.
The historian
Robyn Florance first came across the name Ernest Licey when doing research in 2000.
She soon found out Ernest Licey was a lovable character who used "play up a little bit".
However, he was also a man proud to fight for his country.
"I have published so many books on world war one soldiers and women that I thought I would see how many people are buried in this cemetery and he was one of the names I found first," she said.
"I contacted Rick and Fred (Rick Meehan and Fred Campbell) and we spent a couple of hours at the cemetery looking for him.
"Shoalhaven Cemeteries were wonderful and they gave a print out of where he would be and then Grahame Morrison, another veteran, started working on getting the headstone."
She said Ernest Licey deserved a better resting place.
"He was a WWI soldier and he needs to be recognised as an Aboriginal WW1 soldier," she said.
"He had nothing here before - just grass and it was just unacceptable.
"We are hoping to get headstones for other soldiers' graves that have not got headstones yet."
She thinks there could be around 10 to 12 unmarked graves.
"I think it's very good that they are recognised," she said.
Ceremony address from the heart
Chairman of the Keith Payne Veterans benefit group, Rick Meehan, gave the address at the re-dedication service for Private Ernest Licey.
Mr Meehan said it was fitting to use the term soldier when talking about Ernest Licey.
"While not many of us here today really knew Ernest, I am sure he was an important part of many lives, not just in his Wreck Bay community but in the lives of the soldiers he fought alongside overseas," Mr Meehan said.
"We have come here to say goodbye, to give due honour and say thank you to someone who served his country in the time of war and also thank all the people who also served in this country's defence.
"On behalf of the returned and service community, we offer our sympathy to all his family."
Mr Meehan said Ernest Licey did not think a person's colour mattered when it came to fighting for your country.
"It's a sad indictment of the times that this young Aboriginal man tried to enlist and serve his country, only to be shunned," Mr Meehan said.
"This was the same country that would not recognise him as a citizen or even allow him to enlist due to him being an Aboriginal."
Veterans work hard to respect one of their own
Grahame Morrison was another local veteran, along with Fred Campbell and Rick Meehan, who played a role in finding unmarked graves for the likes of Private Ernest Licey.
They used information provided by historian Robyn Florance and then they make an approach to Veteran Affairs/War Graves for help.
"It's an ongoing saga because it's a long process," he said.
He said finding the unmarked graves does not take long to find but getting the confirmation of the site is what takes the longest.
He said the best thing was when confirmation comes through and shows they had found the site.
Mr Morrison said it was all about giving ex-servicemen the respect they deserve.
"As you can see in between graves you see bare earth and that basically what it was for Ernest Licey," he said.
He knows of at least three other graves in the same position as Ernest Licey.
"It's sad and at the moment we have their cases in the hands of veteran affairs and we are waiting for confirmation and then we get those re-dedications going," he said
He said the process could take up to six months.
"As long as it gets done - that is the most important thing," he said.
He said it was rewarding to see that Ernest Licey and Private Raymond Benson now have a proper resting place.
"It's disheartening when you see they are resting in pure earth and nothing has been done," he said.
Mr Morrison said nobody was the blame for the unmarked graves and added it was important that the situation was fixed.
