This eulogy for the late Aloysius Pang begins with “I don’t like him”, but we assure you, it gets better.
A man who goes by the name of Chase Yap Baofa on Facebook has shared his own personal experience with the 28-year-old deceased actor, a fellow reservist national serviceman involved in a recent military exercise in New Zealand.
Yap, Pang, and hundreds of other fellow soldiers from the 268th Battalion Singapore Artillery took part in the annual Exercise Thunder Warrior in New Zealand’s Waiouru Training Area, where Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) artillery vehicles conducted live firing drills.
It was last Saturday when Pang, an armament technician, sustained serious injuries while conducting repairs inside the cabin of a Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer. Crushed by the end of the howitzer’s gun barrel, his condition took a turn for the worse after a few days in hospital and he succumbed to his injuries soon after.
Investigations are being carried out by an independent committee to figure out what exactly happened to Pang, a familiar face in multiple Mandarin TV series in Singapore since he was a boy.
I remember him
In his eulogy for Pang, Yap recalled how the two didn’t exactly get along before the military exercise in New Zealand. According to Yap, they didn’t have positive impressions of each other during their In-Camp Training (ICT) together in Singapore.
“ICT in Singapore I always had the impression he’s the guy who does nothing, sits in the (truck) and seldom gets called up for duties… I’m not well liked by him too, me the signaller, always look like the slacker, just sit in the (Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier) while (technician) squad does the real work…”
All that changed when their unit participated in the military exercise in New Zealand, where the battalion had the chance to fire the cannons for real out in the field.
Yap remembered how Pang had been an exemplary soldier during the exercise. The actor was well-versed and confident in his role as an armament technician — so much the Military Transport Officer (MTO) relied on Pang for his advice and suggestions.
Pang was also remembered as a genuinely caring person. Which makes his death even more heartbreaking than it already is.
“I remember him as the guy who always sits opposite of me in the Bronco behind the driver…
I remember him being the guy who brings me my meals, as I’m still in the signaller seat manning comms…
I remember him being the guy who looks up at me when I changed the antenna on top of the Bronco when it was raining to make sure I don’t fall…
I remember him, being the guy that when I sprained my leg this ICT and was about to be sent back to camp, the guy who carried my field pack, rifle and helmet to me…
I remember the last words exchanged that day, was to take care, rest well…”
Yap concluded his parting message by stating that it was an honor to have served with Pang.
Early this morning, Pang’s body was transported onto a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) aircraft at Auckland Airport, which departed for Singapore soon after.
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