Jamaicans have been urged to summon the courage of a previous generation and stand firm in defence of truth and liberty just as men and women from this region answered the call to serve when World War II plunged the world into geopolitical turmoil and economic uncertainty.

Reverend Captain Astor Carlyle made the appeal on Sunday in his sermon during the service celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Jamaica 580 Branch at Garrison Church of the Ascension inside the Jamaica Defence Force’s Up Park Camp headquarters in St Andrew.

According to RAFA, the service, held under the theme ‘80 years of service, sacrifice, and unity’, marks the commencement of a year of celebrations to mark its founding.

Referencing the first lesson — Isaiah 6:1-8, which tells of the prophet Isaiah seeing a vision of God, realising he is sinful, gets cleansed by a burning coal, and volunteers to serve God by saying, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ — Rev Carlyle said that in the time of Isaiah, Judah needed someone to shoulder the responsibility of being God’s representative during great confusion.

“Throughout the Bible, God asks questions, but there is one question from the lips of God that is very relevant for a day like this when we celebrate 80 years of the Royal Air Forces Association; it is a question that we heard in the first scripture reading today: Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? And this was a question asked of the prophet Isaiah in a time that needed a Godly voice and a Godly presence to bring calm and consciousness to a nation in crisis,” Carlyle told the congregation of mostly ex-servicemen and women.

“This was a time of chaos, a time of complexity, a time of corruption, and when the young Isaiah stood in the presence of God and considered the grave need, he responded with five words, ‘Here am I, send me.’ Isaiah saw what was at stake, and without concern for himself, he answered in the affirmative,” Carlyle said.

“This is a picture of the kind of spirit with which our Caribbean service members engaged the desperate call from the allied forces in 1939. It was a time of geopolitical and economic instability. Dictators were emerging in Europe and Asia, threatening the fragile peace that the Treaty of Versailles sought to ensure. The Great Depression and the subsequent invasion of Poland required the allied forces to sound the rallying call, and with a spirit of duty and a sense of mission our Caribbean servicemen said ‘Here am I, send me.’ Some trained as pilots, some trained as navigators, some were ground crew under the British Commonwealth air training plan.

“They served in Europe, they served in North Africa, they served in the Mediterranean, they served in Asia. Many Jamaicans served with the Royal Air Force bomber command and fighter command, defending Britain during air raids and helping push back the Axis forces. These young men of the Caribbean faced grave danger, but not for fame or reward, they believed in freedom that was worth defending and they paid the ultimate sacrifice. That is why we celebrate their gallantry today,” Carlyle said.

He stated that the service Jamaicans gave during the war stands as a reminder that the call to duty is for the willing, and encouraged citizens to demonstrate a willingness to serve, just as the war veterans did.

“Isaiah displayed that spirit when God asked ‘Whom shall I send?’ He didn’t give excuses, he didn’t say I am not qualified enough or I have too many responsibilities, or I am too young or I am too old. He simply said, ‘Here I am, send me.’ That is the heart of a willing servant. God expects the same of you and me, He’s asking us that same question today. As our world shows signs of economic shocks and geopolitical uncertainty God is asking who is willing, who will stand for truth, who will serve?” Carlyle told the congregation.

Earlier, in her welcome, RAFA President Major (Retired) Johanna Lewin shared that the founding members of the organisation, formed on August 16, 1946, were a band of merry men who served in the Royal Air Force during World Ward II and did so with a deep sense of pride.

RAFA, she said, initially was for those who served in the war and returned home to Jamaica “to continue their camaraderie and visit the proverbial river — the bar”.

“They wanted to ensure that all was not forgotten and that the comradeship and shared sense of duty that they developed during the war years were persevered. How many of you are familiar with Colonel Reggie Chin, who was commanding officer of the Third Battalion for many years and who served with RAF during the war? How many of you are familiar with Michael Manley, former [Jamaica] prime minister, who served with the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II? We could be here all day. It’s a long story and cannot be given justice here,” Lewin said.
She shared that RAFA started under a hut at one end of the airfield at the JDF Air Wing in Up Park Camp.

“We were offered three prime camp locations, but the one selected was what we know as Curphey Place in Swallowfield, the home of RAFA and the Jamaica Legion. The land was eventually given in perpetuity for the benefit of veterans. RAFA evolved and became more than just a means for these sassy World War II veterans to visit the ever-present river and chat and reminisce and sing about their experiences in Britain,” Lewin said.

“One of the early and major philanthropic works took place when the British charity… established Cheshire Homes, what we would term a hospice. RAFA was the first local entity to pledge $10,000, a tidy sum in those days, to build one of the units. Cheshire Homes is what we now know as the Mona Rehab. We were able to fund the original columbarium in Briggs Park and now the extension. RAFA has continued its tradition of raising funds and giving,” Lewin said.