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ISSUE 021 FRIDAY, 27 APRIL, 2018
6 PAGE RACING GUIDE PAGE 11
ANZAC DAY ACROSS THE RIVERINA
27 FRIDAY
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Madeline continues service E WE AR
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Marguerite McKinnon
MOST people in the Riverina would know her as WIN News journalist Madeline Denholm, or Madeline Oldaker, as she has become known since marrying husband Aaron, but what many don’t know is that Madeline also served as a Specialist Service Officer with the Australian Army. This week, Madeline was the MC at Wagga’s Anzac Day Commemorations, a fitting honour in a year the Defence Force is highlighting the diverse roles women have played in 100 years of service for the military. “It had always been a dream of mine to join the Army and follow in my father’s footsteps,” Madeline said. “I had to defer that in my 20’s when Dad got sick and passed away. Instead, I started my cadetship at the Daily Advertiser when Graham Gorrel was the editor and (Deputy Prime Minister) Michael McCormack was sub-editor. I then moved to WIN TV where I worked for 10 years.” By this time, Madeline knew she wanted to join the Army. “I’m really glad that I did. I got so much more out of joining the Army than I could have imagined,” she said. Over four years, Madeline saw service in Afghanistan and the Middle East, as well as being deployed to help with the 2009 Victorian Bushfires as a public affairs officer. “I’d have a photographer and a videographer, and we’d do tasks for the Defence Force. It was very confronting to see the utter devastation and young soldiers, mostly reservists, having to do searches. What they saw, especially when some were from the effected communities, was not war but a different kind of battle. “We went into the fire-ground before it was reopened and it was eerily quiet. There were no birds, no leaves rustling in the trees, no insects, no crickets, no air-conditioners humming and all around was silence and charred destruction and death. It changed my perception of the Defence Force and what it does,” Madeline said. The former Lieutenant didn’t march this year because of her officiating duties, but Captain Aaron Oldaker led the light horse section with three others. “We met the first day I gave my oath as a recruit in Canberra and he was essentially my escort officer, and we became really good friends and it evolved from there. “We served in different areas in Afghanistan, but still managed to meet up at the Australian base and have a coffee together. It was all above board and proper, but we had shared experiences in Defence which was really special. This year we will celebrate our eighth wedding anniversary.” In a week in which our community remembers the sacrifices made by service men and women, Madeline has reflected on the opportunities she was given to serve her country, like so many others throughout Australia’s history. “The feeling of contributing to society without expecting anything in return has been so rewarding,” she concluded.
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Madeline Oldaker - Wagga Army Veteran.
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