Any Vietnam Vets out there?

[Iain]

I just had a new ribbon bar made up and found that I now have an 'extra'.
Not being a member of the RSL after the disgusting treatment they dished out in 1970 I was unaware that there is now an Australian Active Service Medal.
The bar is getting longer, wonder what will be next?
There is talk of a medal for National Service and another for Regs who volunteered, I wonder if a conscript who stayed on and resigned would get both.
The RSL have the application forms but no one else bothered to contact anyone and let them know about it.

[Optimark]

I had a friend mail me a newspaper article from a Sydney paper I think last year. The article described how to go about getting the medal.

I didn't worry about it, I lost my other medals about 30 years ago.

Mick.

[tonyjune]

Iain,

You will have to have another bar made up. Unlike some, others of us are proud to wear them. The Active Service Medal is a fact as is the Anniversary of National Service Medal 1951 -1972. It's been out now for some 18 months.
The DVA did notify members of the former, but you had to find out about latter from mates. I found out about it on Anzac Day, when I saw it on a mate. Takes about 4 months to come through as they need to engrave it. You can find the application form at http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/dpe_si...orms/ad180.pdf
Where and when did you serve? Me, 5RAR, D Coy, first tour. Going back for Anzac Day next year, see if I can front up to a few ghosts. They say that Nui Dat and the Horseshoe are hardly recognisable.
Tony.

[Iain]

Tony, I was not National Service, I was a reg in the RAAF, Flt Lt with 1AD and we did regular supply drops to Saigon amongst other places.
Please don't be too harsh with Mick, I have met a lot of people who have the same view and I can understand why, I did feel that way myself until a couple of years ago until I took my youngest daughter to a dawn service.
I rarely wear the ribbons except on the odd reunion and I don't care for the march a great deal, with Vietnam my memories are in my own private little world as I suspect Micks may be, just his may be considerably more unpleasant than mine.
Not trying to touch any raw nerves, just defending anyones rights to their own feelings.

[ozwinner]

You should all feel proud.
You did what your country asked of you.

Al

[Iain]

I did Al, but the RSL and others only booed and hissed when we arrived back :mad:
That memory will stick for a long time.

[ozwinner]

I think attitudes have changed over the years, well I hope they have.


Al

[echnidna]

I go along totally with Al.
You should never have been outcast

[Driver]

I go along totally with Al.
You should never have been outcast

I entirely agree. You blokes were treated very badly. You should be proud of what you did and we should all be proud of you too.

[tonyjune]

I've been looking at this screen for the last ten minutes, guts churning, memories flooding in, and having a bit of a cry, trying to decide whether to reply.

The comments from Ozwinner & Driver were the ones that that pushed me over the edge. Sorry Fellas. War is hell, and anyone who has been involved on an active front line, be it WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam etc, lives in thier own hell for the rest of their lives. I now know why my Old Man never talked about Germany.I am not proud of what we did. Most of us didn't even know what the fight was about. I don't know about others, but I would not have gone except for the fact that I was more scared of 2 Years in the brig.

I didn't mean to have a direct go at Mick, we are all in the same boat. I did say that I was going back to try and get rid of ghosts. To be honest I don't think it will work, but we try. The physc. says I should give up the booze, but we all have our own escape.

As to the medals, I dont beleive that I earned them as the Pollies say, but to me they are a memory of those that didnt come back.
Dont hold this note against me Iain, as you say, we all have rights to our own feelings.
Tony.

[Iain]

I didn't Tony, we bought one in the guts of a caribou and spent two days of hell waiting to be picked up, the skipper and co pilot both got broken legs and I had to subdue a supply seargent who wanted to take on the world with his service pistol.
The Yanks picked us up and took us home.
I was only 19 then and that was the end of the big adventure, not quite the same after that.
I resigned my commission about 6 months later and studied psychology but never worked with vets, doubt that I could either, too close to home.

[ozwinner]

Sorry.

I didnt meen to offend anyone.

Al

[masoth]

Any Viet Nam Veteran in/or around Mildura/Sunraysia may like to check with the Mildura Rural City Council which is hosting a Civic Reception at the Mildura RSL Function Room on Tuesday 22 August at 1730 hours, and a service is to be held at the Seventh Street memorial at 1230 hours on Friday 18 August. Medals at both occasions.

soth

[dazzler]

Hi All

Please take this advice in the spirit that it is given. That spirit being that I only want the best for everyone.

If bitter memories are still there after 30 years then anyone, regardless of the trauma, needs to seek counselling for the issue.

This is from personal experience. My partner was seriously injured at work due to criminal behaviour that was covered up. I spent four years of my short life wasted on sh*tty thoughts that made me angry and kept me from sleeping at night and was a focus during the day.

I finally sought counselling and have well and truly come to terms with it. Not excused or forgave it, but understood the reasons for it happening.

A couple of lines from my counseller really summed it up.

The first (in relation to feeling angry and victimised) was;

"How is that going for you?" - Well pretty poorly obviously cause Im sitting here.

and the second was;

"How often do you think the bad guys think about what happened?"
- well never I reckon.

This would be the same with the very few idiots during the war who did not support the soldiers. They wouldnt think about what they did for a minute, nor even realise that they hurt anyone.

So really the only person who was continuing to be sick and worried was me and this did nothing to fix the matter. Cant go back in time, cant expect an apology so I have to move on.

I am now 99% over what happened. I see my counsellor every six months or so just to make sure that the sore doesnt come back.

Just specifically on the vietnam vet issue. Dont for one minute think that not valuing another soldiers service from a later war as being experienced only by vets. My father is a vet with PTSD and goes to group counselling. He told me how disgusted his group was that a soldier who had been with the UN in Rwanda and had PTSD had been included in the group because he wasnt involved in as bad a conflict. The group refused to continue until he was removed. Sucks hey. Idiots hey. Life - yep.

I was lucky to be at the Vietnam Vets coming home day. All vets were welcomed with open arms into the community and was a highlight of my working life.

Anzac day is not about the RSL. Its about the community appreciating the efforts of our men and women who haved served the country. Come along and meet everyone.

There is free counselling, support groups and free medical/mental health support for all vets.

Please take advantage of it if you need to.

cheers

Dazzler

[masoth]

"My father is a vet with PTSD and goes to group counselling. He told me how disgusted his group was that a soldier who had been with the UN in Rwanda and had PTSD had been included in the group because he wasnt involved in as bad a conflict. The group refused to continue until he was removed. Sucks hey. Idiots hey. Life - yep."

THAT staggers me!! Where had the group individuals been? STRESS is STRESS.
I tried the "group" business but quit due to two clowns in attendance, whose service was different from the rest - they annoyed everyone else too but were not isolated from the group.
Are you sure there is not more to the story? I'm NOT suggesting anything more than the simple question.

soth