The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (8298024) Trooper David Pearce, 2/14th Light Horse Regiment, Afghanistan Conflict

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (8298024) Trooper David Pearce, 2/14th Light Horse Regiment, Afghanistan.

8298024 Trooper David Pearce, 2/14th Light Horse Regiment
KIA 8 October 2007
Photograph: P11635.001/ P11635.003

Story delivered 24 July 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Trooper David Pearce, who was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2007.

David Ronald Pearce was born in Liverpool, New South Wales, in October 1966, the youngest of seven children born to Ted and Valerie Pearce. David was schooled in the Liverpool area, playing Rugby League throughout. An ardent supporter of the Manly Sea Eagles, he also played football on the Central Coast, where he met his wife, Nicole, in the local gym in 1988. David and Nicole were married in 1995 and had two daughters, Stephanie and Hannah.

David had always wanted to join the army but believed he was not mature enough, saying, “you can’t put an old head on young shoulders”. He pursued a number of different careers, but in 2002 he joined the Army Reserve and was posted to the 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, in Brisbane. By this stage, the Pearce family were living at Oxenford on the Gold Coast, so David’s posting gave the family security and stability.

In 2005 David’s unit took part in Operation Anode, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands. It was on this tour that he developed a passion for serving his country, and with Nicole’s support David pursued his dream of becoming a full-time soldier on his return to Australia. He transferred to the Regular Army and was posted to the 2/14th Light Horse Regiment – an armoured reconnaissance unit based at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane. At 40, David was older than the other men of his unit, who came to know him by the nickname “Poppy”.

David joined the regiment in a period of high operational tempo. As Australia’s contribution to Iraq wound down, more and more troops were being committed to the war in Afghanistan. The 2/14th Light Horse Regiment deployed twice to Afghanistan in 2007, with David among the detachment arriving in Uruzgan province as part of Reconstruction Task Force 3 in late September.

David’s first patrol in Afghanistan was providing security for Australian engineers conducting reconnaissance for a proposed Forward Operating Base in the Chora Valley. Knowing that there was a fair chance of encountering Taliban insurgents, he wrote in his diary: “I have confidence in my mates and myself and that this is what I trained to do: serve my country, the Army and uphold the Anzac spirit. I am ready.”

Early on 8 October 2007, as the patrol returned to Camp Russell at the Tarin Kowt multinational base, the ASLAV light armoured vehicle David was driving triggered an Improvised Explosive Device positioned on top of an anti-tank mine. The resulting explosion killed David instantly, and his crew commander was wounded. David’s body was repatriated to Australia for a state funeral at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane; in accordance with his wishes, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered on the Coomera River.

Trooper David Pearce was a highly dedicated, skilled, and professional soldier who lived life to the full. He was a popular and well-respected member of his regiment, and the café at the multinational base at Tarin Kowt was named “Poppy’s” in his honour. David’s life experience, maturity, and outgoing personality were said to lend a steadying influence to the members of his squadron. According to his troop, he was hardworking, loyal, brave, and highly motivated. “It was,” they said, “a true honour to serve alongside such a man.”

David was a dedicated husband and father to “his girls” – Nicole, Stephanie and Hannah – who will always remember him as a best friend, a best husband, a best father, and a proud soldier. Their sadness and grief is not diminished, but they remain proud of David’s service and sacrifice to this day.

David’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with 39 other Australians who died in Afghanistan, and his photograph is displayed beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is just one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Trooper David Pearce, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.