To a man who had touched my life…
1st met Lionel in 1999 year 1 registration, he didn’t attend to me but he left an very special memory to me… I had mistaken him as Malay, which I think many of us did, or is it just me? I’ve told him and everyone about it when I joined Rover and we would joke about it all the time.
I was a very quiet person when I was a freshman and Lionel always approaches me to strike a conversation with me, to make me feel easy in Den.
During Basic Training Camp 1999, he was our knots & lashing and footdrill instructor. He never did shout at us or scolded us. What is most important of all, he was patient with us, repeating every single details of how to tie a bowline, telling the story of the rabbit coming out from the hole again and again… Just to make sure we get it right.
For Basic Training Camp 2000, I was appointed Quarter Master for the camp and he was my Assistant QM. That was the time when I really worked hand in hand with him, as he was the Ex-Co’s Quarter Master. It was really an enjoyable time working alongside with senior like him. Still remember the moment when he passed the keys to the store and pole shed to me, this is a trust he had given to me as a senior.
Lionel is always there assuring me that everything would be fine”…Go, go...” he would say, “…Go attend the investiture ceremony… I’ll take care of the QM shed for you, just save some food for me will do…” He had taught me lots of things during the period of time. There was this joke about “The Balcony” which will always bring laughter to us whenever we mention about it…
During my RSS training, I’m a lousy swimmer. Lionel and a few seniors would bring me to the SP Pool to teach me swimming, as I wasn’t very good at it... I still remember where we used to play 5-10 at the corner of the pool and the looser would have to be thrown down the pool and swim to the other edge and back.
I’ll keep those wonderful memories deep in my heart. Those wonderful moments we shall never forget. “La teh” at avenue 10, with you around in den playing Risk & carom, conducting belaying with you at the Jamboree, doing abseiling at the red bridge, taking part in poly 50, there were so, so much more…
Waking up this morning, I still couldn’t accept the fact that I’ve lost a good friend during his military training...
I’ll be praying for you Lionel… And I believe many others will do too… Just like what ShuYen wrote: He was an outstanding scout, a good soldier and above all a very good and loyal friend. And he will continue to be one in our hearts.
Till we meet again…
Yinjie
21/7/2006
Wednesday
