Vietnam veteran dies after tumour battle
A DECORATED Vietnam war veteran from Northern Ireland has died at his home in Australia.
Arthur James Thomson Lowe, 65, died of a brain tumour in Canberra on Sunday.
He was born in Mealough, Carryduff in 1944 and attended the Royal Belfast Academical Institute. He obtained a pilot's licence at Newtownards Flying Club and later attended Officer Cadet Training at RAF South Cerney, Cirencester, England.
He left Northern Ireland for Australia in 1965 where he first found work shovelling salt in the Cheetam Salt Works in Geelong.
He then enrolled at the Basic Flying Training School at RAAF Base Point Cook, near Geelong, flying Winjell aircraft and took up an operational posting with the 34 VIP Squadron at RAAF Base Fairbairn, Canberra.
During his time with the VIP Squadron he escorted royalty, governors, prime ministers, foreign dignitaries and a number of other important people.
He later returned to Northern Ireland where he renewed his friendship with Valerie Lyons, of Fort Road, Ballylesson, whom he married on December 23, 1967 in Ballycairn Presbyterian Church.
They returned to Australia which, as an ally of America, was embroiled in the Vietnam War. He was sent there in 1970, where he spent a year in the combat zone.
Mr Lowe's experiences are vividly recalled in the numerous letters he sent to his family back in Northern Ireland.
He was involved in the thick of the fighting, flying medevac helicopters as well as gunships.
In one of his letters, he reveals he had to land in the middle of a minefield to bring out four badly wounded Australian soldiers.
Mr Lowe also recounted an attack by a flight of three helicopter gunships on a column of North Vietnamese solders who returned fire, with his aricraft the only one left unscathed, with one shot down and the other so badly damaged it was forced to return to base.
Following the war he also took part in various survey operations in the Pacific and was awarded the Air Force Cross for his heroic efforts during a rescue mission in Indonesia.
After leaving the RAAF, he spent the later years of his career working as a commercial pilot for Air Pacific and Ansett Airlines.
Arthur's long flying career came to an abrupt end in April 2006 when he was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour. He died on Sunday surrounded by his immediate family.
Arthur's brother, Edward, said: "Arthur was an incredible pilot who showed remarkable courage and spirit. He was revered even among his own contemporaries and will be sorely missed by all who knew him."
He said his brother was very much in favour of recognition for Vietnam veterans in Australia, who he felt had been ignored by the Australian government and people for doing what they had been called upon to do, risking their lives in the process.
"Only last year he took me around the new Vietnam museum there - he didn't concern himself with the rights or wrongs of the war - he was just there to do the job he was asked to do by the Australian government and hindsight is a wonderful thing."
He said his brother showed unflappable courage throughout his life up to the very end.
"He fought a long and hard battle with illness but heroically held out for three years before taking to the eternal skies."
Arthur is survived by his wife Valerie, son Andrew and daughter Angela.
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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