RSL January Monthly Newsletter

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Angeles City Sub Branch Philippines www.rslangelescity.com ‘Lest We Forget’ President Vice Presidents Secretary Treasurer

James Curtis-Smith Noel Roach Vic Meller Dallas Drake Bob Young

Editor

Larry Smith

Email address’:

Clubhouse: Ponderosa Hotel president@rslangelescity.com

secretary@rslangelescity.com treasurer@rslangelescity.com

editor@rslangelescity.com

NEWSLETTER # 34 ** JANUARY 2010

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WE START off our first newsletter for 2010 with the final reminder about our first function for the year, The Australia Day Fiesta. As with previous years, this fiesta kicks off on Wednesday, 20 January 2010 (the day after our first monthly meeting) and concludes on Sunday 24 th January 2010.

Plenty of activities, a huge raffle, stalls everywhere, the Annual which this year will be conducted in air-conditioning at the Rib Eye Steak House.

This is a great and very popular event and as always, profits go to our Sub Branch charity account, which allows us to continue with our Barangay Medical Missions, wheelchair distributions, nebulizers and a myriad of other charity needs.

PRESIDENTS REPORT – January 2010 The New Year for the Sub Branch commences immediately with the final arrangements being put in place for the various activities to take place this week to celebrate Australia Day. We start with the Beauty Pageant at the Rib Eye Restaurant Function Room on Wednesday 20th January, then on to the now well known Bell Ring dinner and show at the Golden Nile on Friday 22 nd January, and then on Sunday 24th January for the community Street Party on Fields Avenue. Our monster raffle ticket sales are ongoing and finally on Sunday January 31 our family day at Angeles City Sports and Country Club. See elsewhere in this web page for more detail.

On a more sombre note, ten of us attended at Lingayen, Pangasinan on January 9. The purpose of the visit was to join with members of the Veterans Federation of the Philippines, to be part of the remembrance service of the 65th anniversary of the landing of allied forces at Lingayen Gulf to liberate the Philippines from the occupying Japanese forces.

Australia‟s participation was to provide 13 RAN ships and navy personnel who manned the ships, to carry US marines and equipment. ← The Governor of Pangasinan, the Hon Amado T Esino Jr (2nd from left) and beside him is the President of the University of Luzon and guest speaker, Dr MacArthur M Sampson, with Asst Defence Attaché LTCOL Gary Barnes 2nd right ,and far right, Sub Branch President James Curtis-Smith The landing was the second landing in the Philippines (the first having taken place in October 1944 at Leyte) and the battleship HMAS Australia as part of the Australian fleet has the dubious distinction of being the first allied ship to be attacked by the kamikaze flights of the Japanese during WW2. Ironically, the kamikaze flights were out of Clark airfield here in Angeles City.

3 The Governor of Pangasinan and his staff went out of their way to welcome us and we were honoured to be a vital part of the Remembrance service. The visit has now become part of our annual calendar of Local band provided the ceremonial music

The Governor and other dignitaries at the ceremony

remembrance activities, and which commenced as far as this Sub Branch is concerned, when we hosted five RAN veterans who took part in the landings and who returned to the Philippines last year in February 2009 to lay a brass plaque in remembrance of the RAN personnel who took part in the landing and made the ultimate sacrifice.

Our childrenâ€&#x;s medical missions begin on February 6 at Cutud Barangay. This year the missions will be held monthly on the first Saturday of each month and elsewhere on this web site details and maps of how to get there appear.

Our AGM takes place on February 16, and nominations are being called for all positions on the Committee now. Ross Mangan has been appointed returning officer.

Thatâ€&#x;s it for the month, and now back to meetings and preparation for the Fiesta.

JAMES E. CURTIS-SMITH President

COMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS SCHEDULE CHARITY RAFFLE every Saturday at 6.00pm INTERNATIONAL SPORTS & GAMING (Formerly Shanos) (come on along, almost guaranteed a prize) January January January January January

19th 20th 22nd 24th 26th

Ponderosa Hotel 2.00 pm,Monthly General meeting Rib Eye Steak House 6.00 pm Beauty Pageant Ms Australia /Philippines Golden Nile 5.30 pm Poker Machine Derby & Bell Ring Fields Ave 12.00 NOON Australia Day Fiesta Street Party Australia Day Ponderosa Hotel 2.00 pm Social Tuesday Bar Hop Bare Assets, Bada Bing, and down 2 Emotions Joint Bar Hop with RSL Subic

January 31st Angeles Sports and Country Club 9.00 am. Family Day and Golf, Bowls, Billiard Competitions February 2nd Ponderosa Hotel 12.00 Noon Australia Day Fiesta Committee meeting Followed by Monthly Committee meeting 1.30pm Nominations to be received for 2010 Elections February 6th Medical Mission (see web page for location map) February 9th Social Tuesday Bar Hop Lollipop, Fields Ave February 14th Chinese New Year Function

February 16th February 23rd March 2nd March 9th March 16th March 17th March 23rd

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Ponderosa 2.00 pm AGM and General Meeting Election of Officers

Ponderosa Hotel 2.00 pm Social Tuesday Bar Hop Dr. Holmes, Eruption Ponderosa 1.30 Committee Meeting followed by Bar Hop. Ponderosa Hotel 2.00 pm Social Tuesday. Bar Hop. Start Happy Rock and come back down→ Ponderosa Hotel General Meeting 2.00 pm St Patrick’s' Day Ponderosa Hotel 2.00 pm Social Tuesday Bar Hop

New members are still coming through our doors. We welcome the following new members, returnees and life subscribers: New members: Murray Heald (WA) * Phillip Ferguson (A/C) * Stephen Meaney (A/C) * Frank Faulkener (A/C) * Anthony Eglington (A/C) * Derek Nowill (VIC) * Derek Lawrence (UK) * Alan Marshall (A/C) * Bradford Keeler (A/C) * Joe Johnston (A/C) * David Langworthy (Bulacan) * Simon Tagg (A/C) * Welcome back to: Michael Lamberger * Dale Sprinkle (A/C) *

Location codes: A/C = Angeles City * WA = Western Australia * UK = United Kingdom * Bulacan = Philippines *

While we are

in the membership area, a gentle reminder, that the New Year signals membership renewals. So if you haven’t renewed your membership yet, please do so at your earliest.

We cannot carry un-financial members. We like to keep our members and not see them go because they let their membership lapse. As an aside, why not consider Life Subscription. It will save you having to renew annually, and reading these boring reminders.

New DVA mailing address DVA is moving to a new standard mailing address across the nation. All mail sent to DVA can now be addressed to GPO Box 9998, IN YOUR CAPITAL CITY. This change will ensure a more efficient and effective mailing system for all. Mail sent to old post office addresses will still arrive safely.

Separate post office box addresses for individual VAN and VVCS offices, the OAWG, RMA, VRB, DSHI and DSHL will remain unchanged. To access contact details for all DVA offices visit the DVA website

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A SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT DOES ACTUALLY WORK This is a story that has shown initiative, compassion, networking, confirmation and a willingness to help.

On a Friday in mid December 2009 an Australian RAN Vietnam Veteran living the Philippines falls extremely ill. His son in WA contacts the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) local VAN office in Perth to enquire if DVA could be of assistance. A search of their system failed to show the veteran as being registered with DVA. Being an overseas veteran, DVA Hobart, who administer veterans living overseas was passed the task.

DVA Hobart likewise could not locate the veteran on their system so, wishing to be of assistance, contacted Angeles City RSL seeking their help. They were offering the Veteran to submit a claim to ascertain if his current illness could be causally linked to his service.

The RSL began looking for one of their TIP trained Pensions Officers in the region of CEBU. The nearest Pensions Officer in the region was your editor (that’s me) located in Davao City.

Our Secretary Dallas Drake contacted me and asked if I could provide the needed support. Within two hours a seat on the first flight Davao to Cebu was booked and I flew into Cebu the next morning.

The veteran at this stage had undergone an operation to remove two organs and was undergoing dialysis when I arrived. A very relieved partner of the veteran was most grateful that someone had come to their assistance. The veteran could not speak as he had a huge plastic tube shoved down his throat.

I had ascertained the veteran’s full RAN details from perusing the Vietnam Veterans Roll at the Australian War Memorial website (http://www.vietnamroll.gov.au/ ) so there was just a need for the veteran to confirm by nodding that the detail was correct. Another visit 20 hours later produced more information.

Currently his claim is with DVA Hobart for assessment.

CUDOS must be given to DVA, in particular Hobart for showing the initiative to contact our RSL, for their compassion and a willingness to help a veteran who did not even exist on their system.

Confirmation that the efforts of our friend in Sydney REG TULIP and his organization for coming twice to the Philippines to provide TIP Training for RSL Pensions and Welfare Officers. Without that training we would not have been able to swing into action to assist this veteran.

Networking can produce good results.

Finally, I have not mentioned the names of the DVA personnel involved in this case nor the name of the veteran in respect to the Privacy Act 1988, but the DVA people know of whom I refer.

In addition, Angeles City RSL is not seeking any pats on the back because, what we have done is one of the reasons we are located here in the Philippines, to assist veterans. Ed

6 Minister for Veterans' Affairs Mailing List VA101

Thursday, 17 December 2009

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS TO CONTINUE AS SEPARATE AGENCY The Minister for Veterans‟ Affairs, Alan Griffin, today reassured the veteran and ex-service community that the Government has no plans to merge the Department of Veterans‟ Affairs with other agencies.

“Consistent with our election platform, the Government remains committed to maintaining a separate and properly funded Department of Veterans‟ Affairs,” Mr Griffin said.

“The Government understands that the needs of veterans and the ex-service community are unique. We recognise that delivering an appropriate level of service for this group requires a Department with a discrete budget and awareness of the special circumstances that exist within this community.

“Veterans should not be concerned by a recent announcement relating to the merger of agencies within the Human Services portfolio – my Department is not affected.

“The Department of Veterans Affairs will continue to work closely with both Centrelink and Medicare.”

In the December issue of our newsletter, I did an article of how the RAAF Caribou aircraft serving in Vietnam got their call-sign ‘Wallaby Airlines’.

Well here is another good story about the Caribou working in Vietnam. I hope our RAAF members enjoy this. Ed RAAF Caribou Rescued from under Nose of Vietcong Pride in their ability and a challenging situation turned a "black day" for the RAAF's Caribou Squadron Vietnam into a success story which echoes the achievements of RAAF men in other wars.

It started with a Caribou of No. 35 Squadron Vietnam, crashing while landing at the tiny Special Forces Camp at Ba To, 40 miles south of Da Nang. Communications are so poor throughout Vietnam that it was not until early evening, six hours after the crash, that the Squadron's Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Charles Melchert, knew anything of the accident. The report stated: "Wallaby 03, nosewheel collapsed while landing Ba To, no casualties" and no other information was available.

By first light next day, a Caribou was on its way to Ba To. On board was 35 Squadron's Engineering Officer, Flight Lieutenant Wally Solomons and ten of his maintenance staff. They took along spares to repair the nosewheel. Three hours flying time brought them over Ba To, where the position of the crashed Caribou prevented them from landing. It had come to rest with the tail section across the centre of the strip, making it

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7 impossible to land another aircraft. Worst of all, everything except the nosewheel, seemed to be damaged.

The relief Caribou then flew to Quang Nai, a distance of 25 miles where the US Army provided an Iroquois helicopter to ferry people and equipment to Ba To. On the ground at Ba To, Flt Lt Solomons listed the things to be done before the crashed Caribou could be flown out.

The port wing had to be replaced, a new engine was needed, the undercarriage on the port side was a write-off as well as the propeller and both sets of flaps, apart from new tyres, brake drums and radio antennae that had been torn off by the smash. All this to be done to get the Caribou airworthy, without the luxury of a hangar or worthwhile maintenance gear, which was available at Vung Tau. If these troubles were not enough, Ba To is situated right in the centre of the "Ho Chi Minh Trail", running down the East Coast of South Vietnam. At this point the trail is as much as five miles wide, running through the hills and valleys around Ba To. To protect the Caribou from attempted destruction by VC Guerrillas were 12 Special Forces men, the eleven man RAAF maintenance team, three Sea Bees who were building roads in the area, and four Marines whom Wing Commander Melchert had parachuted in to help in an emergency. At night, the aircraft had to be left on the strip between the first barbed wire defence and the second which surrounded the compound.

There were nearly 70 Caribous in operation in Vietnam, but parts are not readily available. After the list of requirements was drawn up by Flt Lt Solomons, the big scrounge began. From Qui Mhon came the flaps and propeller. A Caribou had burned out at Vung Tau and from that wreckage came the wing. The US Army had an engine without accessories and the RAAF had the tyres, brakes and undercarriage. The small items were flown in once the aircraft had been jacked up, the undercarriage shored with wood and the aircraft dragged across the strip to the parking area, clearing the strip for landings. The wing was the biggest problem. It had to be flown into Ba To by a Chinook chopper from Quang Nai because the strip would not take the Hercules that flew it from Vung Tau. Once all the parts had arrived, the men set to with a will, stripping the damaged wing, replacing the undercarriage and changing the engine. Working in the sun without a hangar made the job harder. At times, temperatures of 127 degrees Fahrenheit were recorded by men working in the wing and engine compartments. The task was made longer too by the fact that a lot of parts were second hand and integrating control cables and linkages wasted valuable time. "Charlie", the Vietcong, was not idle. On the third night, a machine gun sprayed the area around the Special Forces Camp and the maintenance men were ordered to the concrete "Last Stand" bunker. There were no further disturbances that night.

On the following night, an infiltrator tried to breach the barbed wire perimeter and tripped a signal flare and once more the RAAF ground crew were ordered to the bunkers by the US Officer in Charge. Around the spot where the flare had been ignited, the Marines let loose with their grenade launchers and peppered the area with 30 rounds.

The picture left is of one of the recently retired Caribou A4-152 touching down at RAAF Point Cook VIC headed for the RAAF Museum.

The tail plane says it all ‘19642009.....45 years service to the nation’.

Happy retirement, ‘gravel trucks’.

Next day a VC Claymore mine was found set-up in one of the bunkers. It was removed and harmlessly exploded. To stave off any last day attempt to destroy the aircraft, Flt Lt Solomons dropped hints among the local Vietnamese that the aircraft would take at least 14 days to repair. Towards the end of the sixth day however, after having worked non-stop every daylight hour, the Caribou was ready to fly.

Some parts of the aircraft control surfaces were held by chains. The securing points for the flaps had been driven up into the wing by the impact of the crash and a chain had to be passed through them and lashed to the undercarriage to draw them into

8 alignment. The Squadron's Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Charles Melchert, would only allow himself, his Flight Commander Flt Lt John McDonnell and crewman Corporal M. "Buggsy" Rose on board the Caribou for the take-off. To the relief of everyone, the take-off went without a hitch and with the undercarriage in the "locked down" position they flew all the way back to Vung Tau and safety.

The flaps which were held down by the chains were so close to alignment that they required only two degrees of correction to bring the aircraft into perfect trim.

Back at Vung Tau Flt Lt Solomons was asked what he intended to do now the aircraft was safe. He said; "park it, sleep for two days, and then I will see what can be done to get it flying again on the Wallaby Airlines".

Acknowledgement: I located this article on Wikipedia so there is really no one to thank for it. I acknowledge the wording below: This document was re-typed and edited by Ron Cuskelly on 13 January 2007. It is based on an undated and barely legible, spirit-duplicated Press Release headed "Written by Public Relations". The bare minimum editorial changes have been limited to spelling, grammar and punctuation! The Caribou featured in this incident was A4-173 which is now on display at the Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra. The date of the crash was 16 August 1966.

Medic becomes first woman in Royal Navy to be awarded the Military Cross after tending to soldier under Taliban fire

By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 3:03 AM on 28th November 2009 She stands precisely 5ft tall in her everyday shoes and her smile is disarmingly sweet.

Kate Nesbitt doesn't immediately fit the image of fearless military hero, not off the battlefield at least.

But there are probably few people a critically injured soldier would rather meet in the chaos of a desert gunfight than this 21-year old blonde in full flight. � Brave: Medical Assistant Kate Nesbitt receives the Military Cross from the Prince of Wales during investitures at Buckingham Palace in London.

And the sight of her sprinting through an Afghan war zone under heavy machine gun fire is almost certainly one that Lance Corporal John List will remember for the rest of a life he now owes to her astonishing display of courage.

Kate, a medical assistant serving as an Able Seaman with the Royal Navy, raced 70 yards to the stricken soldier's side as he nearly choked to death from a gunshot wound to the mouth. She cut open a temporary airway and treated him for 45 minutes as rockets whizzed overhead and bullets thudded into the ground nearby.

Yesterday her 'inspirational' bravery was rewarded at Buckingham Palace when she became the Navy's first woman to be invested with the Military Cross.

Then, with a few modest words, she underlined the remarkable spirit of loyalty that bonds Britain's servicemen and women on the front line. 'I promised my friends and comrades I'd be their medic,' she said.

9 'I promised I'd be there if they ever needed me. They needed me that day so when the call came, that's just what I did.'

Kate, from Whitleigh, Plymouth, stepped into the history books as only the second woman to be awarded the MC, one of Britain's highest gallantry awards, as well as becoming the only female MC Wren. Presenting her award, the Prince of Wales bowed to what he called her 'extraordinary' heroism.

Her citation read: 'Under fire and under pressure her commitment and courage were inspirational and made the difference between life and death.'

All in a day's work: Just after the incident, with blood still on her face and still wearing surgical gloves. Right Kate Nesbitt becomes first women in the Royal Navy to be awarded the Military Cross Kate, who works at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, was attached as a medic to 1st Battalion The Rifles on duty in the Marjah district of Helmand when her unit came under fire from a Taliban ambush. 'I heard "man down, man down'' on the radio and I knew I was needed,' she said. 'I got the location details and just sprinted.

'When I first saw him, I didn't think he was going to make it. A round had gone through his top lip, ruptured his jaw and come out of his neck. He was struggling to breathe and choking on his own blood.

'Bullets were whizzing around my head and shoulders and hitting the ground all around us. The Taliban knew they'd got someone and they were targeting us.'

Lance Corporal List, who is also 21 and from Devon, was airlifted to hospital. Back in the battle zone, Kate still had his blood on her face in a photograph taken before she moved on to her next casualty. (see picture above) Back in the UK and having made a good recovery, Lance Corporal List said of the incident: 'I felt the impact go through my jaw, and the next thing I knew I was on my back. I thought that was it. Then Kate appeared from nowhere, reassuring me everything would be OK. Kate says to be called a hero is too much. I say it could never be enough.' Kate comes from a Naval family, her father Clive Nesbitt served in the Royal Marines for 22 years, her brother Dan is on HMS Ocean, and her other brother Lee is undergoing medical training with the Royal Marines.

Her father revealed she had not told him exactly what she did to stop him worrying. Mr Nesbitt said: 'I was totally surprised when I found out about it from the authorities. She'd completely played it down and only mentioned it in passing.'

L/Cpl John List's neck wound was dressed by MA Nesbitt under heavy fire from the Taliban. He now has the date of the incident tattooed on his arm Yesterday at the palace she held her medal for the cameras and declared: 'It was the biggest shock when I got the news. But being here today made it all seem real. It has been so special. When I looked over and saw my mum and dad in the audience, it was the proudest day of my life.'

SOME GOOD ADVICE CONCERNING FINANCIAL SAFETY President Jim Curtis-Smith, Barrister and Solicitor has provided the following advice to our members to assist us swerve away from financial fraud being committed on our hard earned money. The advice was obtained from another lawyer.

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Next time you order cheques, (checks) have only your initials (instead of your first name) and surname put on them. If someone takes your cheque book, they will not know if you sign your cheques with just your initials or your first name, but your bank will know how you sign your cheques.

Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED". (I do this Ed) When you are writing cheques to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your cheque as it passes through all the cheque processing channels won't have access to it.

Place your work phone number on your cheques instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your Centrelink Number printed on your cheques. You can add it if it is necessary, but if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

Run the contents of your wallet through a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each licence, credit card, etc.

You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel.

Keep the photocopy in a safe place (not your wallet). Also carry a photocopy of your passport when travelling either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

Unfortunately I, an attorney, have first-hand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieves ordered an expensive monthly mobile phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Dell computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information on-line, and more.

But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know: 1. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately, but the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

2. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

3. But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)

Call the three national credit reporting organisations immediately to place a fraud alert on your Tax File Number your passport number and driver's licence number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorise new credit. By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has > been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away. This weekend someone handed it in. It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

Now, here are some numbers which you might need to contact if your wallet etc has been stolen: 1. Visa Card Australia 1800 621 199 2. Visa Card International 1800 450 346 3. Lost Travellers' Cheques 1800 127 477

11 4. MasterCard Australia 5. MasterCard International 6. Bankcard Australia 7. Medicare 8. Centrelink Fraud 9. Seniors Card 10. Passport

(02) 9466 3700 1800 120 113 (02) 9281 6633 132 011 137 230 1300 364 758 131 232

ANZ FREECALL BankWest Citibank Commonwealth CUSCAL- MyCard GE Capital Members Equity National St George Sydney Virgin Westpac Woolworths Ezy Banking

1800 033 844 131 718 132 484 132 221 1300 135 538 1300 369 904 1300 654 998 132 265 1800 028 208 2000 1800 080 000 1800 230 144 137 288

VC CORNER Edward Kenna VC Private Edward KENNA 2/4th Australian Infantry Battalion, A.I.F. 15th May 1945, near Wewak, New Guinea "In the South West Pacific at Wewak on 15 May 1945 during the attack near the Wirui Mission features, Private Kenna's Company had the task of capturing certain enemy positions. The only position from which observation for supporting fire could be obtained was continuously swept by enemy heavy machine-gun fire and it was not possible to bring Artillery or Mortars into action. Private Kenna's Platoon was ordered forward to deal with the enemy machine-gun post, so that the Company operation could proceed. When the attacking sections came into view of the enemy they were immediately engaged at very close range by heavy automatic fire from a position not previously disclosed. Casualties were suffered and the attackers could not move further forward. Private Kenna endeavoured to put his Bren gun into a position where he could engage the bunker but was unable to do so because of the nature of the ground. On his own initiative and without orders private Kenna stood up in full view of the enemy less than 50 yards away and engaged the bunker, firing his Bren gun from the hip. He remained completely exposed and continued to fire at the enemy until his magazine was exhausted. Still making a target for himself, Private Kenna discarded his Bren gun and called for a rifle. Despite the intense machine gun fire, he seized the

12 rifle and with amazing coolness killed the gunner with his first round. A second automatic opened fire on Private Kenna from a different position and another of the enemy immediately tried to move into position behind the first machine gun, but Private Kenna remained standing and killed him with his next round.

The result of Kenna's magnificent bravery in the face of concentrated fire was that the bunker was captured without further loss. The company attack proceeded to a successful conclusion, ...There is no doubt that the success of the company attack would have been seriously endangered and many casualties sustained, but for Private Kenna's magnificent courage and complete disregard for his own safety. His action was an outstanding example of the highest degree of bravery."

[London Gazette; 6th September 1945.]

Private KENNA was born at Hamilton, Victoria, on 6th July 1919.

LAST OPERATIONAL PATROL FOR M113A1 M113A1 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) have a long and proud history in the Australian Army since they were first introduced in 1965.

After nearly 45 years of service to the nation, three M113A1's, one of which saw service in Vietnam, had their last street patrol in East Timor before being cleaned in preparation for shipping back to Australia.

Three Black Hawk S70's, also on operational deployment in East Timor, over-flew the APCs as they turned and headed back to base.

"This is a big milestone for the 1st Armored Regiment to see the last M113A1s on an operation," Troop Leader, LT Nathan Scott said. "The end of forty years of proud history."

Driving LT Scott's vehicle, Lance Corporal (LCPL) Zachery Williams, who at 21 years of age was born 23 years after the APCs came into service with the Australian Army, praised the simplicity of the M113A1.

"Part of the reason the vehicle has been so successful is its simple design," LCPL Williams said, speaking from experience as a certified driver, loader and gunner on the Abrams M1A1 AIM tanks.

"The M113 is easy to maintain and keep running". LCPL Williams said."It is also straight forward to upgrade, and there have been many variations of the vehicles since its introduction in the 1960s."

The M113A1s have been an important part of Australia's mission in East Timor since they were first used to secure the Dili area when INTERFET inserted in 1999.

Since 2006 the APCs have been used to carry the Quick Response Force (QRF), made up of Australian and New Zealand infantry who were dispatched to deal with any outbreaks of civil unrest in the capital.

With the improved security situation in East Timor, the New Zealand Queen Alexandra Mounted Rifles will now transport the QRF in Pinzgauer armored light operational vehicles.

LT Scott said his troops have worked closely with the Kiwis to ensure that they could pick up where the M113A1s left off and the camaraderie between the armoured personnel has been high. "With there being an ANZAC Battle group here in East Timor, I think it was great this morning to have a New Zealand troop sergeant out here on the last M113A1 operational patrol. It embodies the ANZAC spirit."

The six M113A1s that have been in service in East Timor arrived with the International Stabilisation Force following the outbreak of violence in East Timor in 2006.

After they return to Australia the vehicles will be converted into M113AS4s.

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WHAT A SOLDIER Daniel Ken "Dan" Inouye born September 7, 1924 is an American politician who currently serves as the senior United States Senator from Hawaii. He has been a U.S. Senator since 1963 and, following the recent death of Ted Kennedy, is currently the secondmost-senior member after fellow Democrat Robert Byrd. He is the third longest serving U.S Senator in history, after Robert Byrd and Strom Thurmond. He has continuously represented Hawaii in the U.S. Congress since it achieved statehood in 1959, serving as Hawaii's first U.S. Representative and later a U.S. Senator. Inouye was the first Japanese-American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and later the first in the U.S. Senate. He is the third oldest U.S. Senator after Robert Byrd and Frank Lautenberg. He is also a recipient of the Medal of Honor Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Inouye is a Nisei (second-generation) JapaneseAmerican and a son of Kame Imanaga and Hyotaro Inouye. He grew up in the Bingham Tract, a Chinese-American enclave within the predominantly JapaneseAmerican community of Mo'ili'ili in Honolulu.

He was at the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 as a medical volunteer. In 1943, when the U.S. Army dropped its ban on Japanese-Americans, Inouye curtailed his premedical studies at the University of Hawaii and enlisted in the Army. He was assigned to the Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which became the most-highly decorated unit in the history of the Army. During the World War II campaign in Europe he received the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Service Cross, which was later upgraded, by President Clinton in June 2000, to the Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor

Inouye was promoted to the rank of sergeant within his first year, and he was given the role of platoon leader. He served in Italy in 1944 during the Rome-Arno Campaign before he was shifted to the Vosges Mountains region of France, where he spent two weeks searching for the Lost Battalion, a Texas battalion that was surrounded by German forces. He was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant for his actions there. At one point while leading an attack a shot struck him in the chest directly above his heart, but the bullet was stopped by the two silver dollars he happened to have stacked in his shirt pocket. He continued to carry the coins throughout the war in his shirt pocket as good luck charms.

On April 21, 1945, Inouye was grievously wounded while leading an assault on a heavily-defended ridge near Terenzo called Colle Musatello. The ridge served as a strongpoint along the strip of German fortifications known as the Gothic Line, which represented the last and most dogged line of German defensive works in Italy. As he led his platoon in a flanking maneuver, three German machine guns opened fire from covered positions just 40 yards away, pinning his men to the ground. Inouye stood up to attack and was shot in the stomach; ignoring his wound, he proceeded to attack and destroy the first machine gun nest with hand grenades and fire from his M1 Thompson submachine gun. After being informed of the severity of his wound by his platoon sergeant, he refused treatment and rallied his men for an attack on the second machine gun position, which he also successfully destroyed before collapsing from blood loss.

As his squad distracted the third machine gunner, Inouye crawled toward the final bunker, eventually drawing within 10 yards. As he raised himself up and cocked his arm to throw his last grenade into the fighting position, a German inside fired a rifle grenade that struck him on the right elbow, severing most of his arm and leaving the primed grenade reflexively "clenched in a fist that suddenly didn't belong to me anymore". Inouye's horrified soldiers moved

14 to his aid, but he shouted for them to keep back out of fear his severed fist would involuntarily relax and drop the grenade. As the German inside the bunker reloaded his rifle, Inouye managed to successfully pry the live grenade from his useless right hand and transfer it to his left. As the German aimed his rifle to finish him off, Inouye managed at last to toss the grenade off-hand into the bunker and destroy it. He stumbled to his feet and continued forward, silencing the last German resistance with a one-handed burst from his Thompson before being wounded in the leg and tumbling unconscious to the bottom of the ridge. When he awoke to see the concerned men of his platoon hovering over him, his only comment before being carried away was to gruffly order them return to their positions, since, as he pointed out, "nobody had called off the war".

Inouye as a lieutenant The remainder of Inouye's mutilated right arm was later amputated at a field hospital in the US Army without proper anesthesia, as he had been given too much morphine at an aid station and it was feared any more would lower his blood pressure enough to kill him. Inouye was initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery in this action, with the award later being upgraded to the Medal of Honor

by President Bill Clinton (alongside 21 other Nisei servicemen who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and were believed to have been denied proper recognition of their bravery due to their race). His story, along with interviews with him, about the war as a whole, were featured prominently in the 2007 Ken Burns documentary The War. While recovering from WWII wounds and the amputation of his right forearm from the grenade wound (mentioned above) at Percy Jones Army Hospital, Inouye met future Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole, then a fellow patient. Dole mentioned to Inouye that after the war he planned to go to Congress; Inouye beat him there by a few years. The two have remained lifelong friends. In 2003, the hospital was renamed the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center in honor of the two WWII veterans and another U.S. Senator and fellow WWII veteran who had stayed in the hospital, Philip Hart.

Medal of Honor citation Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company E, 442nd Infantry. Place and date: San Terenzo, Italy, 21 April 1945. Birth: 7 September 1924, Honolulu, Hawaii. Entered service at: Honolulu, Hawaii.

Citation: Second Lieutenant Daniel K. Inouye distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 21 April 1945, in the vicinity of San Terenzo, Italy. While attacking a defended ridge guarding an important road junction, Second Lieutenant Inouye skillfully directed his platoon through a hail of automatic weapon and small arms fire, in a swift enveloping movement that resulted in the capture of an artillery and mortar post and brought his men to within 40 yards of the hostile force. Emplaced in bunkers and rock formations, the enemy halted the advance with crossfire from three machine guns. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper’s bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions. In the attack, 25 enemy soldiers were killed and eight others captured. By his gallant, aggressive tactics and by his indomitable leadership, Second Lieutenant Inouye enabled his platoon to advance through formidable resistance, and was instrumental in the capture of the ridge. Second Lieutenant Inouye’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.

Editorial. I was watching a documentary some time ago about Senator Daniel Inouye and straight away thought it would make a good article for one of our newsletters. What I have shown above is not the complete story on Dan Inouye. I recommend to all of our readers to go to the

15 links below and read the complete story on Dan Inouye, and when you have done that, go to the second link and read about the incredible 442nd Infantry Regiment. An enthralling read. Ed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Inouye http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/442nd_Regimental_Combat_Team

www.beyondtheblackstump.com

↓ CHUCKLE TIME An Irish priest was transferred to a Brisbane Catholic Church.

Father O'Malley rose from his bed one morning. It was a fine spring day in his new Brisbane parish.

He walked to the window of his bedroom to get a deep breath of the beautiful day outside. He then noticed there was a donkey lying dead in the middle of his front lawn.

Not knowing who else to call, he promptly called the local police station.

The conversation went like this: ''Good morning. This is Sergeant Jones.

↓

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How might I help you?"

"And the best of the day ter yer good self. This is Father O'Malley at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. There's a donkey lying dead right in der middle of me front lawn " Sergeant Jones, considering himself to be quite a wit, replied with a smirk, "Well now Father, it was always my impression that you people took care of the last rites!"

There was dead silence on the line for a long moment and then Father O'Malley replied: "Ah, 'to be sure, that is true; but we are also obliged to notify the next of kin."

STOP PRESS We have a last minute addition to our coming events schedule as follows: Next February Sunday 14th (Chinese New Year & Valentine‟s Day) we have a Fund Raiser at Eager Beavers, 6.00 PM Start Free BBQ, Bell Ring. Ring in The Year of the TIGER. Look for this emblem →→→ as you blissfully wander up Fields Avenue and along Perimeter Road taking in the lovely sights. Bring plenty of money with you as our team of expert „fund raisers‟ will graciously relieve you of that money. It will go to one of our good charitable causes. As per ALWAYS, a good time will be had by all. Did you see above where we said there is a FREE BBQ. Visit Website

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“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance�