Vietnam Veterans Day - August 18th

[native pepper]

I'm an active service veteran from that era and tried my hardest to fit into the RSL and go to services, but gave up because it was not helping me cope at all, just the opposite. All they did was get drunk and talk about their service, all I wanted to do was forget it and get on with my life and of course recognise those who didn't come back. Even though they claim they help service personal, when I was seriously struggling, got no help or advice and when incapacitated, no one from the branch visited me or inquired about my health.

When I got well, never went back and have not gong to a service since. The results from that action, have been a dramatic improvement in my psychological status. I respect those who served, but sometime you need to move on and leave the past behind. For me that has worked well.

[Busman]

NP we have to stop this, I find myself agreeing with you again !

Pretty much same same. But I also had to suffer 6 months in Concord repat hospital, where the same guys would come to visit their mates every Sunday and go through the same stories like they had never been told before. I do not understand to this day how there are any japanese or germans left in the world, every Sunday these guys baynoneted so many japs and shot so many krauts !

6 months of being turned every 10 minutes, never sleeping for more than 9 minutes at a time sure does your head in. Sat on the edge of the gap at watsons bay 5 times (on the other side of the fence) thinking about it. Fortunately I knew a lady used to sit out there with me who would come out with gems like "if you've got enough guts to kill yourself, you have enough guts to go on living "

So, out of there eventually, RSL not interested, only wanted to know about the old diggers, they would laugh and say " you boys were just in a police action, we were in a real war" So pretty soon stopped going. One day you wake up from 3 days shoving speed up your nose and realise you have to make a decision, slide down to death, or do you want to go on living. I think I chose the latter.

So, I think I have done a far better job of "sorting" myself than those that just want to dump the mess in someone elses lap, and I guess I am a bit intolerant of same.
Pretty much the same feelings for todays recruits. They go in as what we used to call "waries" and all gung ho. When the feaces hits the revolving wind circulator they cry mummy about having to shoot some kid ready to toss a grenade at them. And then a mate gets deaded or blown up and they fall apart. Sorry, no doubt some of you will condemn me for being a cold hard hearted bastard, too bad. Thats the way I see it, get over it and make something of life, or there's the back door to the paddock, guns leaning against the door.
Rant over !
PS I actually got the medals the other day, because son asked me too, but march on Anzac, that's a bridge too far............

[Dot]

I have no idea about the Viet war and it's effects but I see all wars as much the same when it comes to it. I shall speak on what I know about my dads experiences of "war" My dad was a boy of 16 yrs old, he joined the merchant navy as a boiler boy. He helped kept the supply chain going, He was on 2 ships that were torpedoed, luckily one ship the part he was on one floated and the other had a lifeboat which he managed to get onto. Mum told me that Dad never spoke of the things he saw apart from one that really get him towards the end of his life. Mum said he started to have nightmares and the one and only time he spoke of it was this story. After one of the ships was torpedoed and this was in the Southern ocean there were around 14 men in the lifeboat all slowly freezing to death when during the night they heard a faint banging on the side of their boat. When they could see what it was they saw a lifeboat from a civy ship that had also been shot out the water but instead of sailors in the boat this boat was filled with FROZEN women and children. That was the thing that my dad found unable to forget. I often wondered why my dad never spoke of the wars and things he heard and saw was just him being "hard" but he wasn't at all, he was really a very loving, generous, no bullshit man, but with great empathy to all living things apart from certain traits of human beings then I believe he could and would kill if he came across some actions esp when it came to females and children. My dad and his fellow Merchant Navy sailors have never been recognised by anyone so for that reason no-one anyone in our family will support the RSL etc, My dad was a Volunteer, not called up and was amongst the most dangerous jobs at the time of war, my dad got no medals, no help from anyone, so I guess everyone deals with their war shite in different ways. Every one has to do what is right for them when it comes to "healing" but no way is the right and only way. I too may have offended the RSL but they are my reasons and I stick by them, and sorry I do not stand when they do the trumpet thing at the RSL clubs for the reasons I gave re recognition of my dads service. BUT my dad did meet King George so there's a good boast. Have a pic stashed somewhere. And I do say thank you to every person and animal that did have the guts to stand up for humanity. End of my rant

[BernieQ2]

Good post Bill , yours as well Dot .
My Dad also didn't say much about what happened in WW2 , till later in life .
I know things that I wont put on the forum .
Dad was also in Concord for a spell Bill .
Bernie .