A friend indeed
Ross and Nicola on their wedding day. (Photo supplied by Ross)
For Ross, a retired Australian Naval Petty Officer involved in a peacetime naval tragedy, a friendship with Salvation Army Officer Lieutenant Jon Belmonte helped him cope with post-traumatic stress disorder and remember how to laugh.
Ross has formed such a close bond with Jon that he asked Jon to conduct his wedding in 2012 to fiancée Nicola.
But back in 1985, a tragic accident saw Ross fighting to save close colleagues on board HMAS Stalwart. It did not stop Ross’ career in the navy, but he says it did change the course of his life.
After joining the navy at the age of 17, with his first sea service on-board aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne, Ross went on to serve in a number of postings before joining the HMAS Stalwart. In late 1985, while the vessel was travelling from Darwin to Indonesia, a series of events caused hydrogen sulphide gas to form in an under-deck passage.
Ross explains the horrific events that followed, as men on a vertical ladder progressively inhaled the gas and fell on top of each other into the passage below.
“With the vertical ladder, one man saw another at the bottom of the ladder. He (then) became unconscious and fell on him and then the next guy did it and then another guy, who was a medic, succumbed to the gas. There were about five or six or more just piled up in the compartment.”
Many of the men were seriously affected and three lost their lives.
Ross was also badly affected by the gas. He frantically pulled up sick and dying friends and team mates from a small hatch up two flights of stairs using a fire hose tied on by another colleague. He then fought to resuscitate one colleague who later died.
After the event, Ross suffered a range of physical ailments and his family noticed him becoming increasingly angry.
“I used to wake up with really bad nightmares, which I still have. I’ve had three nervous breakdowns – one in 2002 when my first wife and four children left me and
moved [overseas]. She’d just had enough. I tried to commit suicide a number of times.”
For years he says, he “hid in a bottle” until a move to the Blue Mountains, a new job, the ongoing support of Jon and wife Lieutenant Leah Belmonte, and marrying Nicola turned his life around.
Although Ross says he is “not a religious person”, he says it just seemed natural to ask Jon to marry the couple.
Ross says that he and fellow serviceman, retired servicemen and war-time veterans relate so well to Jon, not only because of Jon’s “heart of gold”, but also because Jon had a long military career before becoming a Salvos officer.
Jon is able to “talk the talk, because he’s walked the walk”, Ross says.
Ross first met Jon through Jon’s extra chaplaincy work with Patriots, a social motorcycle club for defence personnel. “Jon and Leah are wonderful people and they go out of their way to help and support us,” he says.
“Jon is awesome. Nothing seems to faze him. He is always there to have a listen or help if things go pear-shaped. I am still uncomfortable in crowds, so Jon has taken me down to city appointments and we have a meal and a great laugh afterwards. He’s a really good mate!”
Comments
Well done, Dino, Nicola, Jon. Patriots working together. Keep it up Plonka.