Australian Vietnam War Veteran

[thedrifter]

VETERANS PETITION



I am an Australian Vietnam War veteran bringing a matter into the public arena. Certain individual veterans have attempted to discredit the matter, so I have placed all the material on the web in an endeavour to gather the support of the veteran movement.



Simply, seven disabled Australian Vietnam veterans are locked into battle again- but this time the enemy isn?t a black-clad army, but a mean-spirited, spiteful local government bureaucracy.

As part of a community project to build a ?commemorative walk? around a local sporting field on behalf of all Vietnam veterans, the veterans and their wives planted over 200 trees with a $2000 Dept. Veterans Affairs grant.

At the conclusiodn of the project, the local Council (Shellharbour City Council, on the south coast of NSW) refused to allow the veterans to leave a plaque on a rock acknowledging who had planted the trees, and why.

From any viewpoint, (and veterans from around the world agree) this is sheer bastardry, especially when the Chilean Association has a plaque on a rock just 300 metres away, and they only planted two trees!

Full details of the matter are attached. If opening an attachment worries you, more information can be found at my web site One Man?s War , and there is an on-line petition at

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/vvlm230/petition.html

I hope you might sign.

Any other assistance you might be able to give us in this matter (passing it on to mates, or other organizations, or any other way at all) it would be greatly appreciated.

The matter is currently being addressed by the VVAA National Council.

Yours Sincerely

Don Tate, ex-4RAR; 9RAR

PS I was wounded in action on 19th July, 1969, and hospitalized for over two years. You might find my articles under ?Writings? at my web site of some interest. Many veterans and members of the public from around the world have found them to be significant reading. Might I particularly recommend ?A Question of Faith?; ?Bitter Man?; and ?Coming the Full Circle?.



PS Brig. Stretton, and Brig. Davis have signed the petition, and Gen Alby Morrison (ex-co of the 9th Battalion has made personal approaches to the Council.

Photos of the parts of the project are now on line at the ?Commemmorative Walk? section at my site.

Should you require more information, I can send you an attachment. Email me at warvet_69@yahoo.com


Sempers,

Roger

[39mto39g]

Went there, signed it.
Ron

[catman]

Signed it!

[SEATJERKER]

...Done...

[DMZ-LT]

Done - Made me proud to see all the brothers and sisters from here pitching in to help this worthy cause. Scouts out ! Welcome home.

[grunt66]

Completed Thanks for sending along .



Bill

[frisco-kid]

It's a done deal. I hope it makes a difference.

[chilidog]

The petition starts with, "As a Vietnam Veteran and unconditional supporter of this petition........"

I support it, but I'm not a vet. Can I still sign it?


Chilidog

[sfc_darrel]

Sure. We both did and sent it out on email
Darrel & Joy

[DMZ-LT]

Hell yes , you can sign it. Enjoy hearing you. Thank you.