WHEN Anzac Day commemorations take place later this month, a special gathering of veterans will take place in Terang.
Around 60 veterans, mostly from the 2RAR/NZ (ANZAC) Battalion, who served in Vietnam, will gather in Terang from April 23-26, some 55 years since they were shipped off to war.
One of the event organisers, Gordon Hurford said the group had been getting together on a semi-regular basis for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic had put reunions on hold for a while.
“(Reunions have) been fairly limited because in our old battalion, the veterans are spread around Australia, so it is hard to catch up with borders closed,” he said.
“We are in a very vulnerable age group; we needed to take precautions and protect ourselves ... the youngest would be 74.”
Mr Hurford said reunions like the one planned for the Anzac Day weekend were vital to the mental wellbeing of veterans, especially those who experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
He said it was important for veterans to talk to one another because unless someone has experienced the trauma of war, they cannot fully understand.
“I have over the years done a fair bit of research on reunions,” he said.
“PTSD is absolutely rife among vets, particularly the infantry guys like us, and over the years I have discovered that sitting around and talking together is great therapy.
“There’s always a feeling that when it is not another veteran, ‘do these people really understand what I am talking about?’
“(With other veterans you) just talk about your experiences and everyone understands.
“Opening up and talking about what issues are really affecting them is the therapy.
“The boys, they will gather and have a good time, and put all their worries aside and just enjoy each other’s company.
“One of the things I say to them is ‘we were together then and we’re together again’.”
Mr Hurford also said the way Vietnam veterans were treated on their return to Australia had contributed to their suffering, with many made to feel unwelcome on home soil.
Soldiers who were returned under the cover of night, hidden from the public, and abruptly dropped back into civilian life had a tough time transitioning from their time at war.
“These fellas, I think a lot of these guys still have a few issues about the way we were treated when we got home from Vietnam,” he said.
“That we were whisked away in the middle of the night, so people didn’t see us, I think there’s still some underlying issues with that.
“The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide will be very enlightening.
“I hope it shows that we have some work to do on that.”
As well as catching up and rehashing their time at war, the group will also participate in the local Anzac Day march and unveil a special memorial plaque.
“We’re unveiling a memorial plaque to the eight soldiers killed in action in our company, which was Delta company, eight names on a bronze Plaque,” Mr Hurford said.