Our Honour Board Wall - A Work in Progress

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Everyone is welcome you don't need to be an ADF service member or a veteran ---- I just had to tell you about our new Honour Board Wall.

We applied to the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) under their 'Saluting their Service' grants offering and were granted sufficient to begin work on our new Honour Board wall.

We've been waiting for months to get started because construction trades are so busy, our little job had to wait.

However, Liddy Building, a Barossa-based company gave us a quote and this week work began. These guys really know their stuff.

The image shows the first stage of construction.

Later, electrical work will be completed - lighting to light up our honour boards that go in the recessed parts, and we'll transfer the names of our veterans from all wars into their new display space.

Through the doorway we will see our lighted cross towards which we look when stating our RSL Ode: "They grow not old as we that are left grow old; age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them. Lest we forget."

Our Hut was transferred to its current location at the Tanunda Recreation Park in 1946 and hopefully will be here for many years to come.

We'll post more images when the Honour Board is completed.

Veterans Health Week

---- The next Committee Meeting is on Monday, 11 Sep 23 ----Every year we hold a Veterans Health Week in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs who fund our activity.

Every year there is a different theme. As you can see on the image at left, the theme this year is "Mental Wellness Matters." It's all about mental health, which is an important matter for veterans, many who experience Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the many horrors they experienced during their service.

Those of us who have never experienced combat will never understand how they feel, but we are here to help and that is what these type events are for. To help the healing process and to let our fellow veterans know that we are here for them. They aren't forgotten.

Your committee is working on an activity for this year and the event will occur on 29 September 23, an earlier alternative date than that shown on the image.

Bookmark this space and we'll let you know all the details about what we have planned in the next week or two.

Legacy South Australia Needs our Help

---- Legacy supports the families of veterans ---- Legacy has an annual fundraising week that commences on 28 August and runs until 2 September this year.

With the large number of Australian Defence Force members who serve/have served in the Middle East over extended periods, there are now numerous families who have lost a serving member. 

The widows and widowers now tend to be a younger group than those from the previous wars and peace-keeping operations, some with young children.

This year is Legacy's 100th anniversary of 'Serving the families of those who served' and Legacy services will be needed well into the future.

The Barossa-Light Legacy Group is active in serving the needs of numerous benefactors within our region.

Any donations or purchase of products you make helps these families and is greatly appreciated.

Recognising our Vietnam War Veterans

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Everyone is welcome ----Today a national commemorative service to acknowledge the 50th Anniversary of the end of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War is being held from 10:00 am at the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial on Anzac Parade in Canberra.

Image credit: Virtual War Memorial

This service is an opportunity for Australians to thank our Vietnam veterans for their service, and remember those who did not return.

To learn more about this event, click here to watch a YouTube video by Sir Peter Cosgrove inviting you to join in this commemorative event.

Additional information from the DVA site indicates that:

"The Department of Veterans’ Affairs will deliver a televised service today to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War at the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial on Anzac Parade.

The service will be broadcast live across Australia by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and streamed online. The ABC will also make the broadcast available to other networks to provide all members of the community the opportunity to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War in a solemn and dignified manner from their home.

DVA develops a range of commemorative and educational materials to further help recognise and remember those who served in the Vietnam War. To learn more about Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, and access these materials, visit their Anzac Portal."