4 Field Regiment (SVN) 'Old Boys' Newsletter - February 2016 Edition

Johnno contacted me last Friday to see if I could help him take Frank Stone out for lunch. Since Franks discharge from hospital on 30 November he's been hard to find but I tracked him down at his nursing home, Bethania Gardens, Bethania. Anyway Johnno picked me up and we found our way to Bethania -- it was quite a trek. He was real pleased to see us and jumped at the chance to go out. We went to the Logan Village hotel in the middle of nowhere and had a good meal with a couple of drinks. Frank was a little unsteady on his feet and tended to forget conversations very quickly. He had moments of clarity as the three of us told old stories. It was really good to see him so happy and he sure appreciated seeing us. We plan to do it again reasonably soon. Cheers to all the Old Boys, regards Swifty Another email from Swifty received 29.01.16. Peter, interesting short yarn for newsletter if there's time: Today, while doing volunteer JP work at a major shopping centre, I had a client who was an old Vietnamese man. We got to chatting and he saw my dress ring which has a military look to it and asked me if I was ex army. Obvious answer. He asked if I was in SVN during war and where. I told him Australian Army at Nui Dat. He got excited and told me he was from Baria and his family owned/operated the laundry which did Aussie laundry in late 60s/ 70s. Small world eh? After Saigon fell he and family were put into re-education camps for nine years. Finally, his older brother was run down and killed while retrieving food etc thrown from truck in a US convoy. He escaped and came here in 1985. Regards Swifty. From Ben Burrow Dear Peter. Is this Melbourne Reunion going ahead? 106 Field Battery's small group of Veterans who turn up for the parade to the Shrine of Remembrance each year will as for 2015 again be led by Neville Clark MC OAM. The 4th Field Regiment RMO Dr David Bradford who served with the Regiment during 1967/68 is now living in Melbourne and he to will join us if he not Overseas. John Godfrey and I as editors of the 106 Field Battery GUNNERS BOOK 1967/68 are well on the way to its publication which is time lined for August 2016. The book will consist mainly of photographs of 106 Field Battery soldiers on active service during 1967/68. The written content is being partly written by and further proof edited by Neville Clark MC OAM. Regards from Ben Burrow Editor with John Godfrey of the 'Turtle Times'. Follow up from Ben Burrow Dear Peter By all means publicise 106's book in your newsletter and likewise we will publicise the 4th Field Reunion to be held in Melbourne in our April Turtle Times. I have 50 e mail addresses of mainly 106 Field Battery 1967/68 we contact only on vital business we have another 50 snail mail addresses. We have three Victorian presidents of RSL's and many other 106 Veterans who of course are members of their local RSL's and on Anzac Day they chose to march with the local mob which in itself will is a diminishing entity. Last year being the 100th Anniversary of the Landing at Gallipoli and with Neville Clark MC OAM giving the dawn oration the numbers were up around 20 from the usual 8 and I think this year we will probably draw a few more in with Nobby leading us. The Turtle Banner is a draw card and we seem to drag in odds and sods of Vietnam era Artillerymen to march behind it.