Daryl had the honour of being the Master of Ceremonies for a combined mess function. The guest speaker was, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove, Governor-General of Australia.
The 5th annual Queensland Police Sergeants’ and Commissioned Officers’ Combined Annual Mess function was held in the Premier’s Hall, Parliament House. The dinner commemorated Police Remembrance Day, a day special to every police officer, particularly the families of those officers how have made the ultimate sacrifice.
The list of the fallen
Order of proceedings
An Associated Press reporter interviewed Daryl at the recent PTSD 2015 Forum. It is a very insightful article, which has received worldwide syndication.
The article touches on what Daryl has learnt first hand, and knows is common for survivors of horrific trauma:
‘I literally thought I was going crazy so I didn’t tell people my thoughts,” he said.
He erected a wall around himself while experiencing anger, anxiety, depression and hyper-arousal as he tried to live a normal existence.
He even had suicidal thoughts but realised he couldn’t do that to his parents.
“I then did one of the most courageous things I have done in my life – I asked for help.”
Read the full article
Police Bulletin October 2015 article ‘Courage under fire – May Day officers gunned down among Australian Bravery Decoration honours’.
Three of the four officers reunited for Group Bravery Citation. Daryl, the first officer shot, sustaining a bullet to his face and then shoulder, the third injured officer Chris, hit in the arm and lower back, and Brett, the bravest of the brave. Brett was working by himself as the Ferny Grove Shift Supervisor. He was the first officer to arrive on the scene, and was expecting to find at least one dead colleague – this was not the case. All officers miraculously survived. Learn in the article how the officers banned together, as well as, the other brave police among the Australian Bravery Decorations honours.
Photo: From the left, Chris, Brett and Daryl
On 28 September 2015, the Premier of Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk, wrote to Daryl to congratulation him on being awarded the Group Bravery Citation in the August 2015 Australian Bravery Citations.
It was very satisfying to share this letter with his parents, Alan and Eileen Green, who:
🙂 Stood by him when all seemed hopeless
🙂 Supported him through all the physical & mental torment
🙂 Showed him what unconditional love is
Daryl with his parents, Alan and Eileen, after surgery in 2003
Thank you Premier Palaszczuk to help Daryl bring, 15 years after the shooting, a small piece of good news to his loving parents.
