Dorothy’s poem in honour of ‘every child that marched and knew loss’
- deansimpson7
- Apr 25
- 3 min read
BY DEAN SIMPSON
Retired Salvation Army officer Lieut-Colonel Dorothy Young has had a wealth of experiences in her life, including a decade spent serving in a war zone.
At 97, she still possesses a vivid imagination and a lively intuition, which manifests in various ways, including in her writing.
Leading up to Anzac Day this year, Dorothy penned a heartwarming poem, poignant in its theme of a young boy marching in honour of his father. (Poem at end of story)
“The little boy in the poem is every child that marched and knew loss,” Dorothy says.
But first, a little more about the poem’s author.
Born into a working-class family in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, during the late 1920s, Dorothy grew up with a strong work ethic and determination that have enabled her to overcome many challenging circumstances.
She and her husband, Lieut-Colonel Neil Young, also 97, entered Salvation Army Officer Training College in Sydney in 1947 as part of the Warrior session.
The Youngs, fresh out of college in 1949, spent the next 20 years serving as corps officers in 12 corps across NSW and Queensland.
In 1969, they were appointed to serve in the African nation of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia), where they spent several years in various roles at the Howard Teacher Training College and Secondary School.
Their service in the country coincided with the Rhodesian Civil War and the Zimbabwe War of Independence (1964-1979). Despite the conflict surrounding them, Dorothy and Neil remained faithful to their God and their mission.
Dorothy served as the Corps Officer at Howard Corps, situated north of the capital, Harare, for five years. She also taught Doctrine and Church History at The Salvation Army Training College at Howard Institute.
Neil served as the principal at the nearby Mazowe Secondary School in the late 1970s during a time when civil war hostilities intensified. The Youngs were instructed to leave for their own safety, yet they chose to remain, becoming the only foreigners left on the compound until their term concluded in 1978.
For the next 15 years, the Youngs held various roles, including pastoral positions, education roles at the training college, and in emergency services. They served as divisional leaders of the former Southern NSW and ACT Division from 1980 to 1985 and officially retired in 1993.
The Youngs have four daughters. All attended boarding school in Africa and eventually married men from four different countries – New Zealand, Australia, Rhodesia, and Sweden. They also have 14 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren.
Dorothy’s Anzac Day poem:
MEDALS
Medals on the chest of a little boy
Marching along with the men.
This serious, fresh-faced lad stepped out
With the very best of them.
With head held as high as his height allowed
He seemed to be looking ahead.
Did he see a cross near a battlefield
Engraved with the name of his dead?
Beside him marched his father’s friends
They were pledged to look after him,
And they sometimes smiled encouragement,
As he marched along with them.
He’s a ‘chip off the old block’ one of them thought,
As they progressed through the city.
The other one thought, “Shame, he didn’t come
To see the pluck of his kid here.”
The band ceased to play, as bands always do,
Then, his Mum came to claim him
and big sister shouted: “I saw you in the procession.”
Some people may wonder,
And some even ponder,
Why do we have Anzac Day?
But for one splendid morning
This boy, with Dad’s mates
Relived a day years ago
When a man gave his life
For the good of these two,
Yes, those medals were not worn for show.
– Dorothy Young
