His writings have been published extensively on the internet, and have been included in several books including "Angels in Viet Nam – Women Who Served" and "Spinning Tails – Helicopter Stories" by Jan Hornung; the War Poetry Anthologies, "Poems of Distant Wars" and "Who Will Cry for the Soldiers – Tears from Distant Wars" published by IWVPA, "The Great Kiwi Summer Poetry Slam 2001/2001" sponsored by Subritzky Line Coastal Shipping of New Zealand, as well as several other magazines and newsletters.
International War Veterans Poetry Archives:
Anthony insists that war poetry does not glorify war. There is nothing glorious in war except the warriors but, as individuals, they will deny that. Bravery is the rule rather than the exception. The perceived degree and by whom the act is witnessed decides the "official" status of bravery. One thing is certain, the mere act of ensuring that a mate's "six" is covered is an act as brave and selfless as storming an enemy machine-gun post. The purpose for both is to stay alive and to keep mates alive; the purpose is not to "win" bravery awards. In war, nobody "wins" medals, they win life or death... and life is never given, it is always taken.
For many of those who find it difficult to come to terms with personal war experiences, whether it is first hand or as a loved one or friend, writing is almost like a magical pill. Within the structured framework of the written word, emotions can be haltered and led to a point where the writer is enabled to manifest and relate to the gamut of emotions engendered by the experiences and consequences of war.
From a handful of poems by a handful of poets, IWVPA now includes over 7,000 poems by some 500 poets – and that number is currently growing at the rate of about 5 poets and 50-100 poems per month. Writers from many nations are represented on the site; Afghanistan, America, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Great Britain, India, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Tibet, Turkey, and Zimbabwe to name a few. Above all, the IWVPA website espouses support and honour for the warrior regardless of the political, economic, or social reasons for the war.
Veterans and friends of Veterans of all nations are invited to contribute poems and/or short stories for publication in the archives. Submissions may be fact or fiction (or a combination of both) but must relate to War, Veterans and/or the consequences of war (e.g. on families, friends, country, health, welfare etc)
The importance of the IWVPA resides in the fact that they may be freely accessed by the public, by Veterans and their families, history students, and other interested individuals or groups. Of course, international copyright laws restrict the reproduction of any work unless prior consent (in writing) is obtained from the author or his/her lawful representative.
The poems and stories that form the International War Veterans' Poetry Archives are a timeless record of War and its consequences. It is vital to remember the manner and sacrifice needed to win and retain Freedom, and for the trustees of that memory and our heritage, the writers, to know that their words are not penned in vain.
ICROSS Canada:
Anthony was honoured by the International Community for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering (ICROSS) Canada with the ICROSS CANADA Humanitarian of the Year Award for 2004 for his artistic ability in the hosting, design, and maintenance of their web site and for spreading the word to the world about ICROSS Canada's efforts to help the HIV/AIDS Orphans and suffering poor in the 3rd World.
Websites:
IWVPA: http://iwvpa.net
RAAFVVA: http://raafvva.org.au
ICROSS Canada: http://icross-canada.com
Ribbon Bar of Anthony W. Pahl, OAM
Top Row, (l to r): Order of Australia (General Division), Australian Active Service Medal 1945-1975 (Viet Nam), Viet Nam Medal Bottom Row (l to r): Australian Service Medal 1945-1975 (SE Asia), Defence Force Service Medal with Clasp, Australian Defence Medal, RVN Campaign Medal
ANTHONY WILLIAM PAHL, OAM
Anthony "Aussie Bard" Pahl enlisted in the Royal
Air Force in 1967 at the age of 17 and served for
over 20 years. He was stationed at numerous
Air Force bases throughout Australia and served
as a helicopter gunner in Viet Nam with 9 Squadron
RAAF in 1969 – 1970, and was based in Malaysia
for 3 years (1973 -1976). He and Maria, his wife
since February 1968, have two married daughters
and three grandsons, all of whom live in America.
An Australian Viet Nam Veteran, Anthony has been
in receipt of the Totally and Permanently Incapacitated
(T&PI) War Disability Pension since 1992. Anthony created, developed, and maintains several web sites including those for the International War Veterans' Poetry Archives (IWVPA), the Royal Australian Air Force Viet Nam Veterans Association (RAAFVVA), and the International Community for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering – Canada Branch (ICROSS Canada). The IWVPA site, in particular, is a personal website created in January 2001 as a coping strategy to assist Anthony to deal with war related PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Poetry and Writing:
Anthony has been writing poetry since 1988. He writes on all manner of subjects but as a Viet Nam Veteran, he has an affinity for war/veteran related poetry, always striving to convey his Australian heritage with the unique and rich Australian version of English. An untrained and self-taught wordsmith, Anthony rarely writes to conform to "accepted" styles or formats, preferring instead to express as the mood and subject takes him, and to sculpt his works to reflect his motivations and perspectives as closely as possible.
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