October 01, 2001

It's September 10 in Washington, USA, as survivor of the sunken HMAS Canberra, Mackenzie Gregory, turns to Australian Prime Minister John Howard and says "See you tomorrow at Arlington".

Unbeknown to Mr Gregory, he is about to survive another event of historical significance - the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington the following day.

Furthermore, Mr Gregory may also have the Prime Minister to thank for his good fortune after he was originally booked on Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon on September 11.

Staff from the Australian Embassy cancelled the booking from Flight 77 and re-scheduled his flight to coincide with the Prime Minister's attendance at a wreath-laying ceremony in Arlington.

As one of the few survivors from the sinking of HMAS Canberra on August 9, 1942, Mr Gregory was in Washington for a ceremony handing over the bell from USS Canberra to the Australian Government.

Three US warships were also sunk that night following an attack by a Japanese surface force, with the then US President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, decreeing that a replacement ship be named after HMAS Canberra.

At the time, Mr Gregory was a sub-lieutenant before he retired from the RAN in 1954 as a lieutenant commander.

In 1964, USS Canberra came to Melbourne with Mr Gregory able to have his son baptised on board, utilising the ship's bell as a font.

Then in 1981-82, USS Canberra was dismantled and the bell kept in storage in Virginia until Australia's ambassador to the US heard of the bell's link to Mr Gregory.

"My wife and I were invited to attend the ceremony on Monday the 10th," Mr Gregory told Navy News.

"It was a wonderful day set in the idyllic surrounds of the White House."

President George W Bush even broke ranks to personally meet Mr Gregory, with Mr Bush ordering a three-star marine general to photograph himself with Mr Gregory, his wife and Prime Minister John Howard.

"We chatted briefly and Mr Bush said, 'It's an honour to meet you, sir'."

The next morning Flight 77 was flown into the nearby Pentagon, with Mr Gregory and his wife taken to a hotel opposite the Australian Embassy shortly after.

"We were stuck in Washington until the 15th when we were able to get the first flight to Australia out of Los Angeles.

"There was a real atmosphere of worry about the place and we were just anxious to get out.

"When we landed in Melbourne, they were playing I Still Call Australia Home and everyone let out a great cheer once we'd touched down."

Needless to say, one of Mr Gregory's first purchases back in Australia was a lottery ticket.