Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

I just wanted to put this link up to show how much this man was loved, even 5 years after his tragic death.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=345085182635184&set=a.133364423807262.1073741828.100014011155239&type=3&theater

There's only a handful of people you encounter in life that have such a huge impact on you that you remember, literally, the very first time you met them. Louis Armstrong Shelley was one of those people in my life. I was in Singleton NSW at the school of infantry. It was late at night and we had a big day ahead so I was trying to sleep. The back door of the live in lines crashed open and there was yelling "what are doing in my bunk?" and crashing going on. I got up in a pissed off mood as I thought a couple of blokes in the section had got drunk at the boozer and come back to carry on. When I got to the door I seen a big black fella bleeding profusely from the head choking one of my mates. I ran over and started wresting with him but very quickly found myself also being overpowered and choked lol. Then the sarge came in and started yelling "what the fuck is going on in here u cunts" before saying "ah fuck, Louis what are u doing"? Louis had gotten on the grog after a course and as the buildings were identical, walked into the wrong one. The sarge told us to take him to the SAL's and clean him up before helping him back to his correct bunk. Although he was tanked Louis apologised profusely and thanked us. After arriving at the battalion (2RAR) we were told we were getting a new section commander. In walked the same bloke from Singleton. Fuck, I thought, this could be bad. What's the odds on him remembering me. He took the section aside, under a tree outside the old company lines, and immediately pointed at me and said how do i know you? I told him the story and he laughed, whew I thought. Then he proceeded to get everyone in the section to say something of their history and their middle name in front of the group. It seemed odd at the time but now I see it was a way of getting us all to know each other personally. I still remember everyone's middle names to this day. Before we deployed to the Solomon islands my car was breaking down, Louis lent my wife his car while we were away as though it was nothing, it meant a lot to me. When i heard louis had passed away, i was shattered. I felt like I was having a breakdown. It really affected me deeply. Meo, whitey and I tried to book flights to the funeral in Brisbane but there was a cyclone and all flights were booked out. We decided to drive. We drove for 2 days trying every conceivable way to get there but it's was flooded out. Bridges were metres under water and roads completely washed away. We tried cross country in Meo's hilux but the same rivers were raging all the way to the coast. The three of us sat in the scrub and had a beer for u Louis, I'm sorry we couldn't get there mate. We honestly done everything we could to make it brother. It still eats me up to this day I wasn't there for you mate. I let u down and I'll be forever sorry. You would ring me every christmas without fail, when you didnt ring that year i tried ringing you a dozen times but got no reply. Before I enlisted I thought I understood why men who had served together yearned to reunite. To tell stories and look at old photos over a beer. To laugh or cry over good times and bad. I was wrong. We gather together because we long to be with men who once acted their best, men that we suffered and sacrificed together with. I didn't choose these men, they were delivered by fate and the ADF, but I know them as I know no other men. I have never given such trust to anyone and know I never will again. They were willing to guard something much more precious than my life. They would have carried my reputation, the memory of me. It was part of the bargain we all made under the tree that day, the reason we were all willing to die for one another. As long as I have my memory, I will think them all everyday, and I seriously still do, every single day. When I leave this world I am sure I will think of my family and my comrades. They were such good men. I carry your reputation Louis, and I will carry it til the end. I will never forget you mate, I miss u so much every single day.

Dear Lou,

Or Wantok, or Mike Tyson like the Malays used to call you in Penang, or your birth name, Louis Armstrong Shelley. Firstly mate, I just want to let you know that I still love you Brother. I know what it's like to feel that crap and down when you don't or won't tell anyone what's up with you. It's was a really shitty place you were in and I don't judge you one bit mate. Lou there is help out there but there's no point telling you that because it's to late now. I don't mean that in a bad way either mate. It is what it is. I really hope you have no pain or suffering anymore and are somewhere that I'd like to go to be with you one day and hang out with you, Timmy, JJ and the boys who got to the boozer early to set up for the rest of us. I know that I already told you when you were still here on Earth that I couldn't thank you enough for breaking into my room that morning and getting me to the hospital when I nearly did what you did. But after you went that way I feel so guilty mate, and I know that's not something you would want to happen, not to anyone let alone one of your mates. It's not your fault, I chose to feel like that. You chose to end the pain instead of fighting anymore and without asking for help. I fully understand brother, you were obviously in a really dark place. I know I've promised you I wouldn't come to see you because of my own hand and I've nearly broken that promise twice. Never again mate, I'm not letting that happen and I will keep this promise for for Karlie and my kids but also for your kids. When your kids are adults in their twenties I will get in contact with them through Trev Jnr and tell them about the Louis Shelley that I knew. The one who was loyal as fuck, was a mentor for hundreds of diggers that got to serve with him. I'll tell them about the man who loved his mates and his mates loved him. I'll tell them about the tough love lessons you gave, sometimes unwarranted but at the very least it toughened that digger ready for battle. At the end of the day we were Grunts not Girl Guides. Mate you were feared by many and loved by all in the Battalion, by all ranks. I will tell them about the mate who was the one man who epitomises The Second Battalion Royal Australian Regiment more than anyone who had served in that unit since it was reraised and probably even during the period of its original run as 2RAR. You were one of the greatest to ever wear the Australian Army uniform mate and I will make sure they know that too. It broke my heart when they didn't come to your farewell and still to this day I think about how that must have made you feel not to have had a decent relationship with your own flesh and blood. We all make mistakes brother, you are no worse than any of us. We all have our own kryptonite and yours ended up taking your family from you and I know it's a big part of the reason why you're not with us anymore. I will never forget you mate, and your Service to our adopted country Australia will forever be preserved in the RSL Virtual War Memorial. Mate we were both born in other Countries other than Australia but we both loved it as much as anyone else did and were prepared to die for it if necessary. You did Australia proud my friend and you deserve to be inducted into the War Memorial. Over the last couple of weeks I have had a lot people who have compared me with you which is very humbling because you really were the best. Lastly mate, with me writing this letter I now hope to give you all of my guilt to hang onto until we meet again. I know you will take it from me because that's the kind of guy you are and that's what we do for each other. I will always remember our time spent together and never forget my great mate Louis Armstrong Shelley. I'm so glad I got to spend your last ANZAC Day with you too before you left us. Maybe I'll even be able to get back on the XXXX Golds with ya up in heaven. Love ya mate. Guts