4 Field Regiment (SVN) 'Old Boys' Newsletter - September 2018 Edition

4 TH FIELD REGIMENT (SVN) ASSOCIATION AKA 4TH FIELD REGT OLD BOYS NEWSLETTER NO 34 – SEPTEMBER 2018 All Correspondence to Peter Bruce, 33 Cathie Circuit, Lake Cathie NSW 2445 or pjbruce8@bigpond.net.au Mobile is 0419 349 317. Hi everyone First up, please note change of mailing address above. Now that we have closed Susie’s business we will cut ties with the PO Box. Not that we get much snail mail these days but just for your records if you would. I received a nice thank you card from Jan McMillan a while back now. I didn’t get down to Sydney for Bill’s funeral but from all accounts it was a fitting send off to a wonderful man. All messages of condolences were passed on to Jan and family. Many will recall that Don Donkin was our Patron for many years. Don was very supportive of our Old Boys association and a real inspiration to many of us. Several of us ‘Old Boys’ have been contemplating another Patron and Syd Farrow suggested David Anderson. David was one of our founding members – if not the founding member – so has had a long association with us. I put Syd’s proposal to a few members and PJ Smith has seconded the nomination. We would like you all to consider the proposal and unless we hear otherwise, we could formally invite David to accept the position say, at the end of September. If anyone has others in mind or would like to comment on the nomination, please get back to me soonest. The role of Patron of our Old Boys Association is certainly not an onerous task and is more a figure head than having any real duties. Really appreciate your feedback. While at the Vietnam Veterans Day service and lunch at Laurieton this month, I came across Vince Jamieson and his wife Marg. Vince served on the guns with 106 Battery (second tour). I didn’t know they lived nearby so it was great to catch up with him. Any old 106ers who knew Vince and want to be remembered to him, just let me know and I will pass on. He can then get in touch directly. We had a good little service and a nice lunch at the Laurieton United Services Club and organized by the Laurieton RSL Sub Branch. PJ Smith was telling me that the Vietnam Veterans Service at the Shrine in Melbourne was a huge success with a very large contingent of unit banners on show. Apparently, there was no RAA or even 4 th Field Regiment banner. I am surprised the RAA didn’t have some form of gathering or banner for gunners to congregate behind. Below is an article written by Mick Birtles DSC . Mick is a recently retired army officer now living in Nambucca Heads. During his 36-year career, Birtles served in Bougainville, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for command and leadership. Here he shares his interest in the issues effecting veterans on the Mid North Coast. The article is headed “What Vietnam Veterans Day means to those who served”. Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War continued longer than any other conflict of the twentieth century. Beginning as a small commitment in 1962 and concluding in 1975. Approximately 60,000 Australian’s served in Vietnam with the loss of (over) 500 lives and over 3000 wounded. There was little opposition to our participation in the early years,