4 Field Regiment (SVN) 'Old Boys' Sep 25 Newsletter

From Chris Trimble on 10 August (4 Field Regt in Townsville 1969/70) Peter, thank you for your email. We are both as well as can be expected for 2 people approaching their late 70’s. A few skin issues as a result of living in Oz apart from that not much else. You may recall about 30 years ago you gave my son and me a tour of the SofA and some refreshment in the Sergeant's Mess. Well last year I took the boy now 42 and my grandson back, it was good to tell them of my time there. I mentioned to the security guard that I had served there and he offered to open the roof on top of the Vestibule for us which was very nice. I also paid for a very expensive morning tea in what was an officers married quarter just on the other side of the wall at the North Fort. When we lived in Adelaide I would catch up with Jed, Pat Kitschke, and Ted Sezniak(?) quite regularly but since moving away less so. We are in touch with Jed’s widow Brenda a bit. In 2019 I applied for a veteran’s card online. The process failed for unknown reasons, so I gave up and walked away. In a little model railway club, I am apart of we got a new member who is a retired RAAF w/o and I mentioned to him my disappointment with the Veteran Card. He nagged me into following it up which I did. I was expecting long delays but after sending an email I had a reply in 40 minutes, the matter resolved in 24 hours, received the card in 7 days and 6 years back pay. A win. I am sending this from Sydney where are doing Grandparent duty. The mob are away at the moment and the house is lovely and quiet. Regards Chris. Bob Brumn (HQ Bty 70/71) has a great story to tell with his time as a member of the Veterans Review Board (VRB). Some of our Old Boys may have had dealings with the VRB following claims lodged with DVA. During my time with Legacy, I occasionally assisted widows with their appearance (usually via phone) with the VRB and they were all very impressed by how comfortable the VRB made them feel. Below is part 1 of Bob’s story. My (different) experience of the Veterans’ Review Board by Bob Brumm Have you ever fronted up to the Veterans’ Review Board for an appeal against DVA rejecting your claim for a disability pension or TPI or similar claim? Sat nervously with your advocate on one side of the big, imposing, board-room table across from the Board’s formally dressed three-member panel, having to retell your story yet again, answering all their difficult questions, hoping they accept the bona fides of your case? I haven’t had to do so, thankfully; I’ve been lucky, only ever claimed for hearing loss and that went through smoothly and successfully within a fortnight. But I have sat on that other side of the table, a member of the VRB for four years, hearing hundreds of appeals from veterans like you and from non-veterans and war-widows. This is how that came about and some of the things I experienced and learnt while serving on the VRB. I was a Nasho and served with 4 Field’s Headquarter Battery in Vietnam 1970 - 71, so had only two years military service. The way my subsequent life panned out I lost touch with Army mates and didn’t move in veteran circles or join an ex- service organisation: and for those reasons, and because I was fortunate health- wise, I knew next-to-nothing about the world of repatriation benefits. Not being familiar with the system, I could have claimed for my hearing issues at least 10 to 15 years earlier. I did see a couple of work colleagues who were veterans suddenly quit work and heard later they had TPIs for PTSD. They were both high achievers and both close to retirement age and at the time I thought that was all