Arrangements for Vietnam Veterans’ Day can be downloaded from the following link:

Information is also included on how to book a seat for the Ceremony

Click here to download post.

webmaster

Dear AVVRG NSW Member

Please find attached, Meeting Notice & Agenda for our next meeting on Monday 8th March .

NOTE : If attending the meeting please RSVP by email & print out & bring your copy of the Agenda & reports .Thanks.

Regards

Kerry

Click here For details of the tour.

March sees thw Food Van active again, there are two functions, as follows:

Ford FPV – XR Show

14th March 2010

Time: 0900 to 1500.
Venue: East Lawns, Old Parliament House.

Shannons

Date: 21st March 2010.
Venue: East Lawns, Old Parliament House.

To volunteer for the Van, contact Karen, our Office Manager, on telephone, 02 6255 1599.

Click here to send an email to Karen.

webmaster

Saturday 10th October Kings Park

The aim of the campaign is to stamp out the stigma of PTSD.

As part of National Mental Health Week, Picking up the Peaces (PUTP), ADF, Australian Federation Guard, AFP, SES, ACT Fire, Rural Fire Service, ACT Ambulance Service, VV&VACT and other organistions today participated in PTSD Awareness Day, including a pleasant Spring Walk around Lake Burley Griffin.

VV&VFACT participation included: Veterans Voices, Food Van and administrative support for PUTP.

Following the walk, Loose Connections, performed the World debut of the PUTP Theme Tune.

Interim photographs are posted below.

A full report and photographs will be posted shortly.

Click here to view Veterans Voices.
Click here to view Kate listening to PUTP theme.
Click here to view Canberra Times article.

Thanks guys for an uplifting day

After a car accident, a flood, a rape, international deployment to a trouble spot, your friend, partner – or you – is ‘different’. To be frank, they – you – are a pain to live with.

And after a little while you get heartily sick of living with their moods, their outbursts, their withdrawal… Yet telling them – or yourself – to ‘get over it’ or ‘move on’ is a waste of breath.

What’s the matter?

Quite possibly, they/you have PTSD. That’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A common, yet extremely under-diagnosed mental disorder that destroys lives as effectively and more often than Depression.

One of the biggest problems with PTSD – which affects 1.4 million Australians at any one time – is how few people have any idea about its symptoms, or its effects. And that includes an alarming number of professionals.

People live on eggshells, reliving the horrors that triggered their torment night after night in flashbacks and nightmares. Concentration becomes almost impossible. They go through days at flashpoint, or socially and emotionally removed from the overpowering stimuli bombarding their senses.

And as control of their lives slips away, stigma rears into view, particularly from work colleagues. Their mood slides lower and lower, guilt flashes through to reinforce the downward spiral… until it’s too much for them or their loved ones to bear.

All the while, screaming inside ‘What’s wrong with me?’

The Vietnam experience – 20,000 of the 50,000 Australians who fought in Vietnam have been disgnosed with mental disorders – shows that this can go on for 30 years before diagnosis finally occurs.

By then, lives have been irrevocably altered. Careers have been destroyed. Families disintegrated.

Yet there are ways of taming the symptoms. They can be as simple as a daily walk. The professions generally favour pharmaceutical interventions and/or psychotherapy. Many sufferers prefer meditation and other natural, alternative therapies.

Put any of these interventions in place early, and you could save lives – both physically, and through improved quality of living.

Some of the largest groups prone to PTSD simply because of the nature of their work, are our Defence, police and emergency services. Canberrans get the chance to walk with many of them to help ’stomp out the stigma’ at this year’s National PTSD Awareness Day on Saturday afternoon, October 10.

The inaugural PTSD Day walk last year attracted more than 500 walkers. This year, organisers expect significantly more.

A world class lineup of speakers has been arranged, Defence and emergency services will display some of their most interesting vehicles, the Police horses will walk, and entertainers will provide a free concert. A range of local community groups will provide information on the services  they have available.

The event – which is free – starts at 1pm, near the Carillon.

Click here for More information

2nd National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day
1pm – 6pm 10 October 2009 Kings Park, Canberra (near the Carillon)

We’d love to see you there!

Looking for numbers – minimum12 persons – for a midweek deep sea fishing trip from Bateman’s Bay. $100 per person – contact VVFACT office to register

A few members would like to know if any other members have used this company and if they’re reputable or not ,please email vvfact@vvfact.com.au or post with any information.

Earth Sea Sky would like to extend an invitation to all Vietnam Veterans, families and friends for the Vietnam 40 year Anzac Day tour. You can contact Director David Armstrong on

Ph:03 9663 5065

M:0438 436 048

or visit www.earthseasky.com.au

PDF:40-years-on-tour-invite

Full details of Anzac Day arrangements for tomorrow, April 25 2008, can be found at the following sites:

Canberra
Dawn Service 0530-0600, Parade Ground, Australian War Memorial. ACTION Buses will operate a free service from all interchanges to the Dawn Service.
National ANZAC Day Ceremony 1015-1200,  at the Australian War Memorial. ACTION Park N Ride Shuttle service will operate from Russell Offices car park.

Australia wide

Villers-Bretonneux and Bullecourt, France 2008

Anzac Day Services Gallipoli, Turkey – 2008

Dear Editor

Anzac Day is an important day for all Australians.  It is a time to remember the men and women who have served and defended our nation at home and abroad, in war and in peace.

On April 25, in almost every town and city throughout Australia, and locations around the world, people will gather to honour our veterans and current serving members of the Australian Defence Force.  This year, 90 years after the final battles on the Western Front, we will a hold a special Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux.

Wherever they are, I encourage all Australians to mark this national day by attending an Anzac Day ceremony to honour our veterans and current serving members.

To find out more about community activities for Anzac Day, contact your local RSL Branch or visit the DVA website.

Thousands of Australians will participate in traditional Anzac Day marches, many veterans wearing their medals with pride above their heart on the left.  The families of deceased veterans may wish to join in the marches wearing their relatives’ medals on their right breast.  Advice on wearing medals, as well as helpful information for coordinating an Anzac Day ceremony is available on the DVA website, www.dva.gov.au.

Alan Griffin
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs

Good news for all that indicated that they would wish to attend the RAR 60th Birthday Dinner in Sydney on Friday night, 21 November 2008.

The dinner is on and yes, you may invite your ladies and guests.

The organising committee have stated that they expect to cater for up to 1,000 attendees but the venue will be detailed at a later date.

Dress for gentlemen is a miniumum of jacket and tie with miniature medals. That is, dress suitable for a regimental dinner. I would suggest dinner suit or lounge suit. Ladies are requested to wear after five.

Those who have already nominated do not have to do so again but the cutoff date for further nominations or amendments is no later than 18 August 2008, but please let me know ASAP as it may be first in best dressed, if numbers reach more than 1,000. Remember that there are 12 battalions involved as well as 10 Indep Rifle Coy. That equates to an average of less than 80 guests per unit. We have 50 nominations already.

The dinner will be advertised in the August issue of the Fighting Fourth which will of necessity be issued probably in the last week of July or even earlier, to advertise the dinner and to allow later responses. Please pass the word to those of your friends who do not have access to Email and ask them to contact me. Details will also be posted on the 4RAR/4RAR (Cdo) Association, NSW web site.

As soon as more definite details are to hand they will be passed to you.

See you there.

Alan Price
4RAR Associations’ event secretary.
(07) 3273 7973
apriced4@bigpond.net.au
11 Dellforest Drive
Calamvale Qld 4116