Wife grieves after losing her second SAS husband
Adelaide Advertiser ^ | 5th December 2005 | Gemma Jones

WHEN Warrant Officer David Nary of the elite Special Air Service was killed in the Middle East no one felt the pain or loss more than his widow, Naomi, and family in Sydney.

For Naomi Nary, 39, the dedicated career soldier was husband, best friend and family protector.

With his death, she became an army widow for the second time. Mrs Nary, however, wants the emphasis to be on her soldier husband who told his children he was going to a war zone to protect others.

She wants Australians to know his sons David, 15, Alex, 12, and Joshua, 7, were "proud their father was a soldier and a soldier with the SAS." His daughter Haley, 5, simply adored him.

Mr Nary's parents want him to be remembered as a "very good Australian" who upheld the finest leadership traditions of the army.

A 17-year veteran of the elite SAS Regiment, Warrant Officer Class Two Nary, 42, was killed on November 6 in a training accident while on active service.

"As far as having a man that is your husband I was very proud to have him, he certainly was a good man and a good father," said Mrs Nary, whose first husband, another SAS soldier, Gordon "Dutchy" Holland, died in a training accident in 1993.

"David, I guess in some ways, rescued me from being alone and being lonely. He used to say he was my minder and protector and he certainly did have that aura about him, I always did feel safe with him."

Mrs Nary said his devotion to his children set him apart.

"Sometimes you have other things in your life and you can't play with them but David would always make time," she said.

"The kids would ask why he was going away. David used to say he was going away to look after other people, not to shoot baddies. That's something a child can be proud of."

Warrant Officer Nary's parents, David and Carmel, and sister, Kathryn, said a "very good Australian" had been lost.

His mother said his compassion and love for children shone through in Afghanistan. His father said his son always wanted to be a soldier and joined up at 18.

MG Note: The war against the Islamofascists will be long and hard.  Many warriors like Warrant Officer Nary will give everything that they have to give to assure our safety.  Knowing how hard SAS troopers train for operations, it comes as no surprise that casualties occur on them as well as on combat operations.  Our prayers go out to WO-2 Nary's family at this very difficult time.