He remained in the Optical Maintenance Platoon for 22 years, rising through the ranks to Warrant Officer II. The years in the army instilled in him discipline, perseverance and a habit of systematic planning. My dad often proudly displayed the many awards and medals received through his tenure.
My dad, SY, is 85 years old today. He is the sixth child in a large family. He recalled how he stopped his education at Secondary 3 due to the difficult financial situation at home. He took on many odd jobs to supplement income through his school days such as delivering newspapers at night. However, even then, he eventually chose to give up his place at the school so that his 2 brothers could continue theirs. At that time, there was no strict age limit in the education system so when he left school at Sec 3, my dad was already 18 years old. After leaving school, he took on different jobs from working at badge making factory to driving an “Advertisement car”, which involved sending the door-to-door sales people selling cosmetics to various locations and picking them up after.
Later, through a friend’s recommendation, he took on a job in the British Army repairing optical instruments. It was here that my dad learnt to fix compass and watches, acquiring a lifelong skill. He has always been the go-to handyman of the family with his comprehensive toolbox.
The job at the British Army was considered a good job that paid well, with weekends off. When Singapore gained independence in 1965 and the British Army left, the Singapore Armed Forces offered my dad a position in the artillery unit, fixing machinery and equipment. He remained in the Optical Maintenance Platoon for 22 years, rising through the ranks to Warrant Officer II. The years in the army instilled in him discipline, perseverance and a habit of systematic planning. My dad often proudly displayed the many awards and medals received through his tenure – from Good Service to Long Service and Good Conduct. He retired from SAF at age 50 in 1990.
Upon retiring from the army, my dad went on to acquire different skill certifications such as driving a crane, bus and powerboat. He soon started his second long career as admin support and staff bus driver at a country club. Once again, his diligence and strong sense of responsibility earned him three model worker awards throughout his 25 years of service. One of them was by the Singapore Labor Foundation, which included an educational tour to China for all the national recipients in 2004. Due to his steadfast work ethic and amicable nature, he was well liked and appreciated by his colleagues and management, who affectionately called him “Uncle Chiang”. As he enjoyed his work and peer interaction, my dad only retired fully at age 77.
His stoicism, tenacity and passion for continuous learning makes him a role model for all of us
Written By: Joshua Chiang
坚韧不拔与持续学习的精神
我的父亲SY今天85岁了。他在一个大家中排行第六。 他回忆说，由于家境困难，他读到中学三年级就辍学了。为了补贴家用，他在上学期间做过很多零工，比如晚上送报纸。即便如此，他最终还是选择放弃学业，让他的两个弟弟能够继续上学。当时教育体系没有严格的年龄限制，所以父亲中学三年级辍学时已经18岁了。辍学后，他做过各种各样的工作，从徽章制造厂的工人到“广告车”司机，这份工作需要他把到各家住户推销化妆品的销售员送到不同的地方，然后再接他们回来。
后来，经朋友推荐，他加入了英国陆军，负责维修光学仪器。正是在这里，我父亲学会了修理指南针和手表，掌握了一项终身技能。他一直是家里的万事通，工具箱里总是备着各种工具。 在英国陆军的这份工作被认为是一份不错的工作，薪水优渥，而且周末休息。
1965年新加坡独立后，英国军队撤离，新加坡武装部队为我父亲提供了一个在炮兵部队的职位，负责维修机械和设备。他在光学维修排服役了22年，一路晋升至二级准尉。多年的军旅生涯培养了他严谨的纪律、坚韧的毅力和系统规划的习惯。我父亲经常自豪地展示他在服役期间获得的各种奖章和勋章——从优良服役奖到长期服役奖和良好行为奖。1990年，他从新加坡武装部队退役，年龄50岁。
从军队退役后，我父亲又考取了各种技能证书，例如驾驶起重机、巴士和快艇。不久，他便开始了第二份长期职业——在一家俱乐部担任行政助理和员工巴士司机。凭借勤奋敬业和高度责任感，他在25年的服务生涯中三次荣获模范员工奖。2004年，他获得了由新加坡劳工基金会颁发的全国性的模范勤工奖，和其他获奖者参与了中国游学之旅. 父亲勤奋敬业、待人友善，深受同事和管理层的喜爱和敬重，大家都亲切地称他为“Uncle Chiang”. 由于热爱工作和与同事交流，我父亲工作到77岁才完全退休。
他的坚持不懈和热情好学的精神是我们所有人的榜样。