Having called himself a dead man walking, it’s a miracle East Timor veteran Rahman is alive.
Nicknamed “Rami” by his army mates, Mohammed Abdur Rahman was deployed to Maliana, Timor in 2000 after transferring to the regular army just six months prior.
His section of nine men was attacked in the dead of night at their 6th Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment base at Aidabasalala by pro-Indonesian militia on June 20 the year he arrived in Timor.
The former peacekeeper recalled those moments, as explosives were lobbed at the front door, on the roof and outside their windows.
“Six grenades landed, the automatic and semi-automatic fire started and we immediately got out,” he told AAP.
“This is a natural reaction for infantry soldiers, you defend your post.
“It is a miracle that we actually survived. We called ourselves a dead man walking.”
The nation will commemorate the 25th anniversary of Australian service in East Timor which helped bring peace and security after Indonesia’s occupation.
The brutal regime began with the annexation of East Timor in 1975.
Following the militia attack, Rahman recorded the immediate reactions of his fellow soldiers and took about 500 photographs and eight hours of video footage throughout his deployment.
The former Lance Corporal said the anniversary commemorating Australian service was very special for him.
“Australia basically planted a new nation on the world map … it is one of the proudest moments in Australian military history,” he said.
Returning home after his deployment, Rahman continued his military service in the army and later the RAAF Reserves until 2009.
He also created a United Nations Peacekeeping Exhibition, for which he was nominated for the UN Media peace prize.
The veteran’s exhibition was used to fundraise for the East Timor community and to fund projects in Oecusse, on the north-western coast of the country.
Continuing a long tradition of service, Rahman who migrated from Bangladesh in the 1980s, works at Victoria’s Immigration Museum and was appointed shrine governor at the Shrine of Remembrance.
He said he loved presenting Australia’s history to school students, local and international visitors.
“It’s fantastic to be part of our country,” he said.
“There’s no other country like Australia.”
A National Commemorative Service will be held at the Australian Peacekeeping Memorial in Canberra next Friday, marking the 25th anniversary.
Six Australians died during peace operations between 1999 and the end of 2012.
More than 18,000 Australians served in East Timor.
