June Issue of the RSL 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’:

Newsletter # 26

Clubhouse: Ponderosa Hotel president@rslangelescity.com

secretary@rslangelescity.com treasurer@rslangelescity.com

editor@rslangelescity.com

June 2009

PRESIDENTS REPORT - June 2009 The medical mission at Barangay Cutud was again a huge success with 608 children each being examined and assessed by Region 3 Police doctors and prescriptions filled by this Sub Branch. Really a great day and makes the fund raising ever so much more meaningful. Photos appear on the web page.

The next mission is on Saturday June 20 at Abacan, Malabanias and a map of how to get there, and detail is also on the web page (also see map on page 16 of this newsletter). If you have time drop by and have a look and or lend a hand.; It would be remiss of me if I were not to mention publicly the tremendous amount of work that Dallas Drake our Secretary does for this Sub Branch.

Just this last month, and through a network of contacts that Dallas has developed, we obtained a grant from Department of Veterans Affairs of a sum in excess of AUD$7,000 for an inscribed marble tablet of remembrance from this Sub Branch to be added to the Hellships Memorial at Subic. The date of dedication of this memorial is yet to be finalized and more information will appear through the Newsletter and web page. This recent grant of course follows on from the Best grant received last year for administration of the Sub Branch for computers, equipment etc etc., and Dallas has prepared and lodged yet another application for a grant for this year. We have TIP training for a few days prior to Vietnam

2 Veterans Day with Reg Tulip an authorized trainer again attending under a grant that Dallas applied for and submitted. Apart from help from others supplying the little information that Dallas did not have, he has prepared all these applications single handed which is a major task when you have a look at the forms and information sought in each case by the persons responsible for making the grants.

Apart from the grants, the job of Secretary comprises so much in administration particularly when we have a Sub Branch comprising of over 300 members. Thank you Dallas on behalf of us all for your continuing work.

On Tuesday June 23, the Sub Branch will be hosting a visit from Mr. Frank Lodge, Senior Migration Officer and his deputy Mr. Christian Jones of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship attached to the Australian Embassy at Manila. They will be delivering a discussion on Partner Visas and other visas and there will be plenty of opportunity for questions. Any persons interested are invited to attend. The afternoon will commence at 1.00pm and be held at the Ponderosa Hotel.

Our Saturday evening raffles at Shano’s are continuing and maintaining an average return to our Charity Account of in excess of P6,000.00 If any body knows who “borrowed” Banner for the next Medical Mission at our banner from Shano’s a couple of weeks Here is the banner for Abacan, Malabanias onthe 20 next JuneMedical 2009 ago could you please arrange for its return or Mission at Abacud Malabanias 20 June let me know where I can collect it. Thanks to all who provide the prizes each week and to those members who attend to help sell the tickets and be there to enjoy a couple of hours of “conviviality” !!

More next month JAMES E. CURTIS-SMITH President

New Members STILL new members are coming along and joining our Sub branch. We welcome the following new members: Thomas Seiderwand * Kenneth Graham * Geoffrey Knighton * Robert Graham * Preben Olsen * Denis Moir * John Christie * Russell Goode * Eric Grunnet * Aiza Otic * Stephen Smith * Wayne Hogg * Russell Pitt * Rudolf Olree * Timothy Wright * Welcome back to: Jeff Duncan * LIFE SUBSCRIPTION MEMBERSHIP NOW AVAILABLE ---

Any member may now become a LIFE SUBSCRIBER of RSL AUSTRALIA. A Special Life Subscriber membership ID is given. The Angeles City RSL Sub Branch has set Rates in both Australian Dollars and Philippine Peso. JUST DO IT now and never worry about Annual Dues Notices again.

Contact Dallas for further details on rate applicable to your age as of last Birthday.

3 MORE MEMBERS BENEFITS

Another Two Sponsor’s have come on board with a 10% discount for members.

Bunny Burger

and

Bare Assets

are now offering this discount on production

of your RSL card.

Kokomo Group,

which include Voodoo, King of Diamonds, Angelwitch and Kokomo’s (Drinks and Food) will issue discount cards (20%) to our members.

REQUIREMENT. Send a head shoulder photograph by email to: secretary@rslangelescity.com or drop your picture to Kokomo’s Office attention Derek along with your RSL ID. **** **** **** **** **** **** ****

VISIT BY AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY STAFF WHO: Australia Embassy Immigration & Visa Personnel.

WHERE: RSL Club Room at Ponderosa Hotel, Mountain View, Angeles City WHY: Presentation on Visa Requirements to Australia WHEN: 1300 hrs (1.00pm) Tue 23 June 2009 DURATION: About two hours, depending on attendee participation **** **** **** **** **** **** **** OPERATION OVERLORD “ D DAY” 65TH ANNIVERSARY June 6th 1944 was the start date of Operation Overlord, which saw the allies march into Europe and then onto Germany, finishing the European theatre of WW2. It was the time Supreme Commander General „Ike‟ Eisenhower famously said “Let‟s go”.

June 6th 2009 saw a major commemoration of that day in 1944 at the US War Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, above the cliff face at Omaha Beach. Present were many thousands of French, American, Canadian and British ex servicemen and women of the time and their families.

Keynote speakers were US President Barack Obama, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Prince Charles attended as did actor Tom Hanks who starred in the movie “Saving Private Ryan” where the opening scenes were filmed at Omaha Beach.

Below is a brief part of US President Obama’s speech at the commemorative service, as reported by press present.

THE D-Day bravery of Allied forces changed the course of the 20th century.

"Friends and veterans, what we cannot forget - what we must not forget - is that D-Day was a time and a place where the bravery and selflessness of a few was able to change the course of an entire century," Mr Obama said at an American war cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer overlooking Omaha beach.

"At an hour of maximum danger, amid the bleakest of circumstances, men who thought themselves ordinary found it

4 within themselves to do the extraordinary."

Mr Obama said that the landing of British, Canadian and American forces on the beaches of Normandy had turned the tide of World War II to liberate Western Europe from the grip of Nazi Germany.

"It was unknowable then, but so much of the progress that would define the 20th century, on both sides of the Atlantic, came down to the battle for a slice of beach only six miles long and two miles wide," he said.

"Had the Allies failed here, Hitler's occupation of this continent might have continued indefinitely," he added.

"Instead, victory here secured a foothold in France. It opened a path to Berlin. And it made possible the achievements that followed the liberation of Europe: the Marshall Plan, the NATO alliance, and the shared prosperity and security that flowed from each."

However there was another OPERATION OVERLORD in 1971 which was a tri-nation operation in Long Khanh province, involving Australian, New Zealand and American troops.

This Operation Overload started on 6 June 1971 after reports from the Special Air Service (SAS) Long Range Recce Patrol (LRRP) that there were large concentrations of enemy troops in the province next to Australia‘s AO, Phuoc Tuy Province.

Operation Overlord was conducted on the Long Khanh and Phuoc Tuy province border. It was initiated as a result of the buffer zone between the two provinces being relative free from 1ATF or American interference. The VC/NVA troops used this opportunity to train, equip and move into Phuoc Tuy province to attack, harass the local villages almost at will. 1ATF and the Americans decided to conduct an operation (Overlord) with the view to destroy the enemy in that region. The plan was for the 2/8 US Battalion to block the north-east and east along the Suoi Luc river, 4RAR was to block in the south and A Sqn 3Cav Regiment to block along the Suoi Ran river.

3RAR was to provide the searching troops and hopefully destroy any enemy found in its area of search.

Operational control was vested in the commander of the 1st Australian Taskforce (1ATF) who located his HQ atop Courtenay Hill within the Courtenay rubber plantation. The worst casualties in the operation was when an APC with mounted troops of the Defence & Employment Platoon (D & E Pl) deployed to secure the operational HQ was hit with an RPG which detonated the claymore box on the top of the APC. This resulted in the driver and the infantry section commander being the only troops on the APC which weren‘t killed.

Like any major operation, preparations and movement alerts the enemy that a major ‗something‘ is happening.

As the troops landed into their designated LZs, B Coy 3 RAR was no doubt seen by the VC as they began their search. Captured documents later indicated that their LZ was no further than 500 metres away.

5 It has been suggested that the VC who stayed behind and fought the battle were just a rear party designed to hold up the searching troops as the rest of the regiment escaped. Even though, the Heavy Weapons Coy of 3/33 NVA with its forty or more troops were still able to stall 5 platoon B Coy for almost eight hours as they escaped into pre designated escape routes.

A great mate of mine whose citation is shown below was on his second tour with 3 RAR when his platoon was bogged down by heavy machine guns. He was later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) by the Governor of Tasmania who commented that he didn’t know what you had to do these days to get the Victoria Cross (VC) Ed Army Number; 61712 Substantive Rank; Private Christian Name: Peter John Surname: FYFE Honour or Award: DCM Private Peter John Fyfe enlisted in the Australian Army on 26 January 1966, and was allotted to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. He joined the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, on 20 January 1970, and arrived in South Vietnam with the Battalion on 12 February 1971. On 7 June 1971, during Operation Overlord, Private Fyfe was an acting Section Commander in 5th Platoon, B Company of the Battalion, when the platoon came under heavy and accurate fire from an enemy bunker system. Two members of the left forward section of the platoon were seriously wounded in this engagement and Private Fyfe was ordered to bring his section forward to bring fire onto the enemy to allow evacuation of the wounded.

Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own personal safety, Private Fyfe led his section forward, positioned them and then moved himself to within ten metres of a bunker from which heavy machine gun and small arms fire was being received. Private Fyfe threw a number of grenades at the bunker and directed his section's fire to neutralise the bunker and thus allow evacuation of the wounded. Private Fyfe was wounded in the foot early in the action which lasted for more than four hours, but he refused medical treatment and continued to direct his section's fire against the enemy. During this period, Private Fyfe constantly exposed himself to enemy fire in his efforts to command his section and effect redistribution of their ammunition.

Private Fyfe's outstanding leadership, his complete disregard for his own personal safety and his insistence on remaining on duty during the battle although wounded, ensured such a measure of aggressiveness within his section as to be instrumental in allowing the platoon to successfully evacuate all the wounded and maintain the platoon perimeter during the long engagement against a numerically superior enemy force. His leadership and bravery, reflect great credit upon himself, his Regiment and the Australian Army.

Final note on Peter Fyfe. ‘Fyfey’ was a PTE rifleman on his first tour with 3 RAR and when he returned in1971 he was a CPL in transport. A ‘small indiscretion’ saw him reverted back to PTE and sent back to the platoons as part of his punishment. After ‘Overlord’ he was medivaced to Australia on 14 June 71. He is currently a Pensions Officer working for the Huonville RSL south of Hobart Tasmania. Ed **** **** **** **** **** **** ****

And of course 6 June was also the 40th Anniversary of the Battle of Binh Ba, in Phuoc Tuy province in (then) Sth Vietnam in 1969. Below is a media release from Allan Griffin, Minister for Veteran’s Affairs: Minister for Veterans‘ Affairs, the Hon Alan Griffin MP, mailing list VA049 Saturday, 6 June 2009

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AUSTRALIAN VICTORY AT BINH BA REMEMBERED 40 YEARS ON Veterans of one of Australia‘s most comprehensive victories of the Vietnam War will be honoured today at commemorations marking the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Binh Ba. The Minister for Veterans‘ Affairs, Alan Griffin, will attend the commemorations at the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial in Canberra, to pay tribute to the bravery and discipline of some 330 Australians who were involved in the battle. ―Forty years ago today, on 6 June 1969, a ready reaction force was deployed from Nui Dat to deal with rocket fire coming from Binh Ba village directed against an Australian tank. The force comprised D Company of the 5th Battalion mounted in armoured personnel carriers from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment and supported by tanks from the 1st Armoured Regiment. The village was less than 10 kilometres from Nui Dat,‖ Mr Griffin said. ―Within hours the force was engaged in fighting of an intensity rarely matched in Australia‘s experience of the Vietnam War. It was quickly apparent that the enemy force comprised both main force elements of the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong guerrillas. ―The two-day battle involved several sweeps through the village and some vicious close quarter fighting. Additional troops from the 5th Battalion were called in as cut-off parties. Helicopter, artillery and engineer support was utilised in a powerful and disciplined combined arms attack to drive the enemy from the village. One Australian, Private Wayne Teeling, was killed and 11 were wounded. More than 100 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong perished in the battle, with many more wounded.‖ Mr Griffin said battle honours were awarded to the Royal Australian Regiment, the 1st Armoured Regiment and the 3rd Cavalry Regiment for Binh Ba. ―Despite 40 years passing since the end of the Vietnam War, the Battle of Binh Ba is still not widely known by those outside military and historical circles, however it was a significant victory for Australian forces,‖ Mr Griffin said. ―I am pleased the Australian Government was able to support today‘s commemorations with $50,000 in funding to ensure the service and sacrifice of all those involved in the Battle of Binh Ba is appropriately honoured.‖ Some 60,000 Australians served in the Vietnam War. Of those, some 520 were killed and more than 3000 wounded.

Australia remembers and commemorates their service each year on Vietnam Veterans‘ Day, 18 August.

**** **** **** **** **** **** Japan ambassador apologizes for Bataan Death March AP – World War II veteran Joe Alexander, right, a survivor of the 1942 Bataan Death March, which saw thousands …

Sun May 31, 8:59 pm ET SAN ANTONIO – Japan's ambassador to the United States apologized Saturday on behalf of his country for the 65-mile forced walk of U.S. troops and allies during World War II that left some 11,000 prisoners of war dead.

"As former prime ministers of Japan have repeatedly stated: The Japanese people should bear in mind that we must look into the past and to learn from the lessons of history," Ichiro Fujisaki said at the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

He said his country was extending a heartfelt apology for "having caused tremendous damage and suffering to many people, including prisoners of war, those who have undergone tragic experiences."

7 Although Fujisaki received a standing ovation from about half of the 400 to 500 attendees, others said the apology was overdue and didn't seem sincere.

Former POW Hershel C. Boushey told the ambassador that he did not accept "your apology," and that the atrocities and mistreatment many suffered was severe.

In 1942, Japanese captors marched about 78,000 prisoners of war — 12,000 Americans and 66,000 Filipinos — for six days on the Philippine island of Luzon to a prisoner-of-war camp in what became known as the Bataan Death March. Many prisoners were denied food, water or medical care, and some were stabbed or beheaded.

As many as 11,000 prisoners died, according to the U.S. Air Force.

Survivor Tony Montoya, of Woodland, Calif., also questioned Fujisaki's sincerity.

"This young man knows very little of the atrocities," Montoya said. "They probably rehearsed him on it."

Abie Abraham, of Renfrew, Pa., said it was time to move on. "I was never one of those guys that worried about whether we got an apology or not," said Abraham, a 95-year-old vet.

"The way I look at it is — Japan is now our ally," Abraham said. "Why should we get an apology from them?"

Retired Tech Sgt. Joe Alexander, of San Antonio, said he was satisfied because "we finally got the apology that we wanted."

About 73 surviving Bataan Death March veterans of the Army and former Army Air Corps members attended the convention Saturday, which served as the march survivors' final reunion. **** **** **** **** **** **** ****

Some advice for members using the Internet Differences Between http and https THIS IS IMPORTANT.............................. What is the difference between http and https? **The main difference between http:// and https:// is: it's all about keeping you secure** HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transport Protocol, which is just a fancy way of saying it's a protocol (a language, in a manner of speaking) for data to be passed back and forth between web servers and clients.

The important thing is the letter 'S' which makes the difference between HTTP and HTTPS. The S (big surprise) stands for "Secure".

If you visit a website or webpage, and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the following: http://. This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular 'unsecure' language. In other words, it is possible for someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website. If you fill out a form on the website, someone might see the information you send to that site. This is why you never -ever- enter your credit card number in an http website!

But if the web address begins with https://, that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can eavesdrop on.

You understand why this is so important, right? If a website ever asks you to enter your credit card information, you should automatically look to see if the web address begins with https://.

If it doesn't, DO NOT enter sensitive information like a credit card number or your banking details. ****

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What is the value of the money?

In a small town on the South Coast of France, the holiday season is in full swing, but it is raining so there is not too much business happening. Everyone is heavily in debt.

Luckily, a rich American tourist arrives in the foyer of the small local hotel. He asks for a room and puts a Euro 100 note on the reception counter, takes a key and goes to inspect the room located up the stairs on the third floor.

The hotel owner takes the banknote and in a hurry rushes to his meat supplier to whom he owes €100.

The butcher takes the money and races to his supplier to pay his debt of €100.

The wholesaler rushes to the farmer to pay €100 for pigs he purchased some time ago.

8 The farmer triumphantly gives the €100 note to a local prostitute who gave him her services on credit.

The prostitute goes quickly to the hotel, as she owed the hotel €100 for her hourly room use to entertain clients.

At that moment, the rich American is coming down to reception and informs the hotel owner that the proposed room is unsatisfactory and takes his €100 back and departs.

There was no profit or income. But everyone no longer has any debt and the small townspeople look optimistically towards their future.

COULD THIS BE THE SOLUTION TO THE Global Financial Crisis? **** **** **** **** **** ****

‘BEYOND THE BLACK STUMP’ In Australia, that saying means ‗way out-back somewhere’, used in place of the saying ‗the back o’ Burke’. However it is also the name of a cartoon strip created by one of Australia‘s great cartoonist‘s, Sean Leahy. Sean has a political cartoon published in the editorial section of Queensland‘s main newspaper, The Courier Mail where it appears six day a week. Sean also has his ‗Beyond the Black Stump’ cartoon published in that paper seven days a week. The characters include a platypus, pelican, kangaroo, emu, cockatoo, echidna, koala‘s, wombat, to name a few. Sean has given me approval to use his ‗Beyond the Black Stump’ cartoon in our newsletters, to which I thank him. So here is the first one. Ed

www.beyondtheblackstump.com

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AUSTRALIA'S oldest man and last remaining World War I digger Jack Ross has died aged 110. (3 June 2009) Mr Ross died peacefully in his sleep at the Golden Oaks Nursing Home in the central Victorian city of Bendigo about 4am this morning.

Mr Ross turned 110 on March 9 this year.

As an 18-year-old Mr Ross enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in January, 1918 and trained at the wireless training school before he was posted to the 1st Battalion at Broadmeadows camp in Victoria.

But the war ended before he could be posted overseas and he was demobilised on Christmas Eve. He served Australia again in World War II as a member of the volunteer defence corps.

Mr Ross was awarded the 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance medal in 1998 to commemorate the end of WWI. He also received the Centenary Medal for his contribution to Australian society in the 100 years since federation.

In civilian life Mr Ross worked for the Victorian railways for more than 45 years before retiring in 1964.

He is survived by his daughter Peggy, son Robert, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Mr Ross, who had a penchant for chocolate, but didn't drink or smoke, was known as "Pop" to staff at Golden Oaks.

A life-long member of the Labor Party, he marched in Anzac Day parades until recent years when he preferred to watch the marches from the comfort of his bed.

It is understood Mr Ross's daughter Peggy Ashburn, who lives in Bendigo, saw her father on Tuesday, but was out of town today and is now travelling back after learning of his death. Lest we forget **** *** **** **** **** ****

Men's health bottom line (An article I found in the Hobart (Tasmania) Mercury Newspaper today 5 June) The message is there fella’s.

Ed DAMIEN BROWN June 05, 2009 08:00am

WHEN it comes to health, Health Minister Lara Giddings does not beat around the bush.

"A rectal examination is not everyone's idea of a good day out but it does save lives," Ms Giddings said yesterday.

"Too many men are dying of embarrassment every single day."

Ms Giddings launched a new light-hearted booklet aimed at getting men to take health seriously. Focusing on cancer prevention and detection, MANual uses the analogy of a car to get across the message of early detection and prevention.

Cancer Screening and Control Services state manager Gail Raw said that, sadly, men took better care of cars than their own bodies.

"Women have been putting their legs up in the air and enduring the likes of a Pap smear, which is equally as uncomfortable as a rectal exam, but we aren't complaining," she said.

"Too many men are dying unnecessarily from cancers that could be easily prevented."

Labor MP Ross Butler said he had been macho about health-related matters until he was diagnosed with prostate cancer that required a life-saving operation.

"Because I got it early and took those steps, I am now up and running and better than before," he said.

Ms Giddings said she hoped the manual would make a difference.

"I suspect the place we will find this is in the toilet. That is where men do most of their reading, isn't it?" she said.

"So women, if you hear chuckling from the en-suite, don't worry."

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Below is a letter from the Blue Ryan, to Prime Minister Rudd concerning the T&PI Pension rates. One Ex Service Organisation (ESO) still working for us. Ed The Australian Federation of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex Servicemen and Women Ltd (Incorporated in the ACT) DIFFERENT CONFLICT- SAME SACRIFICE Patron-in-Chief Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia

1 June 2009 The Hon Kevin Rudd Prime Minister Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Dear Prime Minister, I am writing to express the disappointment of the TPI Federation concerning an outcome in the 2009 Budget. I am aware that a response to a matter of this kind would usually be the responsibility of the Minister for Veterans‘ Affairs however as the head of the government, a direct response from you is preferred on this occasion.

In 1998 the Old Age Pension, Centrelink Disability Pension, War Widows and Service Pension indexation arrangements were altered to allow them to be adjusted in a fairer way by the use of Male Total Average Weekly Earnings (MTAWE) or the Consumer Price Index (CPI) whichever is the greater and for those pensions not to fall below 25% of MTAWE. For some 10 years the TPI Federation made representation to government to be treated in the same fair manner as other pension recipients and for the TPI payment be adjusted to maintain its relativity to other government pensions.

In a joint Press Release from yourself and Alan Griffin just prior to the last election you said: ―Our veterans have paid a very high price for their service to our country. This is about fixing an injustice. We have listened to our nation‘s veterans and we are acting. It has been budgeted to cost $61 million from September 20, 2008 – the day of indexation. They deserve a Federal Labor Government that will finally fix this issue rather than a tired cynical old Howard Government that has consistently ignored them. There has been no other issue that has been the subject of greater sustained and passionate concern in the veterans‘ policy area over the last ten years. We have heard from many individuals and representatives of the Veterans‘ community about the importance of this issue. In 1997 when the Howard Government indexed a range of other pensions, they left out the above general rate disability pensions. Since that time there has been an erosion of these pension’s values compared to the broader community.‖ (Emphasis added) From March 2008 the indexation arrangements of the TPI and other DVA disability pensions were brought into line with all the other major government pensions. The bonus payments of December 2008

11 were also passed on to most TPIs. We are at a loss to understand why the increase to pensions announced in the budget was not passed on to TPIs and other DVA Disability Pension recipients.

The reason for our disappointment was articulated by Paul Kelly in the Australian when he said: ―Australian households have never been so well–prepared for recession. They are cash-rich, showered with tax cuts, the biggest pension increase in history, tax breaks for business and home buyers, a parental leave scheme, school infrastructure, investment in clean energy, roads, rail, ports, a national broadband scheme, renewed commitments to defence in the new white paper, funds for innovation, universities, the car industry, with the Reserve Bank of Australia cutting interest rates by a whopping four percentage points since the crisis began. ― But nothing for Australia‘s disabled veterans.

In a Press Release in May 2007 Alan Griffin said that: ―A Rudd Labor Government is already committed to making sure that our most severely disabled war veterans have their pensions adjusted to take account not just of the cost of living but also the standard of living‖.

The new indexation arrangements to DVA disability pensions had gone some way to ensuring that the veterans‘ benefits did not suffer further erosion. Your government‘s failure to adjust the rate of the TPI pension in line with the adjustments made to other government pensions, as per the 2009 Budget, has meant that the relativity between veterans‘ disability pensions and the other pensions has diminished. It follows that there has to be an erosion of the standard of living for veterans and their families.

The ex-service community was very supportive of Alan Griffin and your party leading up to the last election because it seemed that for the first time in more than a decade some one was listening to the issues and seemed genuinely moved to address the longstanding wrongs.

The view of the TPI Federation is that we have been badly let down by your government. In a time when extraordinary sums of money are being spent by the Government to dull the impact of the recession it seems that the group given the least consideration is that which has given the most in the service of their country. We request that military disability pensions be increased by the same percentage as the other government pensions - that is, 11.4%.

Your early attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated. Should you need any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

John (Blue) Ryan OAM National President

REGULATION 24 TO THE PHAMACUTICAL BENEFITS SCHEME (PBS) I am going to make an uneducated guess and state that there are probably not too many of our members aware of the provisions of the PBS, in particular Regulation 24, or Reg 24 or R 24 as it is commonly known.

Get ready to be informed.

Regulation 24 of the PBS allows a doctor writing a script to authorize a pharmacist to dispense that script up to six times straightaway. The doctor is allowed to do this if he is convinced that you are going away and it is reasonably expected that you will not be in an area where you may purchase your medication, or are proceeding overseas. He is allowed to do this without reference to any regulating body.

12 The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) run their own PBS and is known as RPBS. The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) run their own PBS and is known as RPBS. Something else that is even less advertised is that RPBS can be expanded to up to 12 months. This however needs an authorization number from DVA. It simply requires the doctor to ring them on (I will even give you the number) 1800 552 580 (Australia wide), detail the medication, tell them the script number and they will then give the authorizing number.

So to all you blokes that go doctor shopping and trying to gather scripts to cover an away period, your problem is solved.

However if you are proceeding overseas and are carrying a significant amount of prescribed medication, there is a government requirement that airport security personnel who notice large amounts of medication in baggage should enquire of the passenger the reason for such amounts. So it is in your interest to obtain a letter from the doctor who wrote the script detailing the medication and the amounts. This should then satisfy any enquiries.

There is also a regulation that states that medication being taken out of the country should have its original packaging intact. However, if you are like me and carry significant amounts of medications, space becomes a problem. I take no notice of the ‗packaging intact‘ requirement and I can reduce, in some cases, 12 boxes into four, which is a great saver when it is accompanying you. I am prepared to go to bat if I am fronted over the matter. That is my personal choice.

In closing this advice, I will ask the question, why would anyone entitled to Australian medicines, and are getting them under the PBS provisions, choose to purchase them overseas where quality sometimes is in question and pricing astronomical, when you can bring them from Australia. Ed And another not widely known thing Those members who are T&PI (Gold Card) are entitled to pharmaceutical supplies that are not on the PBS, such as, sunscreen lotions, bandages, medicated shampoo‘s, arthritis aids etc (a list can be provided by a chemist) can be obtained on prescription by your doctor if they ring the previously listed phone number for a RPBS authority number.

One thing to watch out for though, that the price of the article you are getting is not cheaper than the co-payment of $5.00+ you have to pay for each script.

Hub Hubbard We advised members of the death of Hub Hubbard in Thailand a couple of newsletter ago. Rhett Webber advises that Hub‘s ashes will be buried at Clark Cemetery on 19 June 2009 at 1000 hours. I think by now, most people who knew Hub would have been advised by the email system. ****

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Coming events Sunday July 19th Family day at Angeles Sports & Country Club Starts 0830 a.m.

Ladies take note LR Products will be doing Hand Spa & facials P150peso (P300 for both ) with P100 (on either or P200 on both ) back to our charity funds as well as all profit from any sales to our Charity fund so bring along your sisters etc. A swimming pool attendant will be there to supervise children in the swimming pool.

Boys may play golf or lawn bowls.

13 FOR THOSE MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN TO AUSTRALIA, THE DIAGRAM BELOW GIVES A GOOD IDEA ON JUST HOW LARGE IT IS, AND WITH A POPULATION OF JUST OVER 21 MILLION PEOPLE. YOU CAN FIT EUROPE INTO IT MORE THAN TWICE.

AUSTRALIAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES DURING WW2 It is a well known fact that, during WW2, Australian Servicemen served in just about every theatre of operations.

They were in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific. What is not so well known is their involvement with the liberation of the Philippines.

When Gen Douglas MacArthur was ordered out of the Philippines and to Australia he was appointed as Supreme Commander of the Western Pacific Area. Australian Gen Sir Thomas Blamey (later Field Marshall) and his forces were placed under operational control of MacArthur.

Australian soldiers inflicted the first losses to the Japanese whose advance onto Australia was stopped in New Guinea.

It was the defining action as it started the rearward push of the Japanese back towards Japan.

MacArthur assured Blamey that Australian troops would be involved in the push north and with his liberation of the Philippines. However Blamey was duped and MacArthur made no arrangements for the Australian forces to accompany his troops and the US troops took off without them.

Australian troops were set the task of removing the Japanese from New Guinea, Papua, Borneo, Malaya and Brunei where large battles occurred. Regaining this region was not an easy task

14 But as can be seen in articles we have done in a previous newsletter, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ships played a significant role in the battles of the Coral Sea and the actions off Leyte and the Lingayan Gulf areas.

For instance, HMAS Australia was the first ship to be attacked by a new Japanese weapon called the ‗Divine Wind‘, commonly known as the Kamikaze attacks. Over four days the Australia was repeatedly attacked by kamikaze‘s and had to eventually withdraw south for repairs. This was a great loss to the commanders of that campaign.

The picture left is another insight into Australian involvement in the liberation of the Philippines. It‘s of a unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) No 3 RAAF Airfield Construction Squadron disembarking from a Landing Ship Tank (LST) off Mindoro Island. The official text accompanying the picture is as follows: OFF MINDORO ISLAND, PHILIPPINES. 15.12.1944. THESE AUSTRALIANS OF NO. 3 AIRFIELD CONSTRUCTION SQUADRON RAAF WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO LAND ON MINDORO ISLAND. LEADING AIRCRAFTMAN H. QUICK OF EXETER, SA, IS IN THE FRONT. RAAF ENGINEERS WERE UNLOADING THEIR LSTS (LANDING SHIPS, TANK) WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF HITTING THE MINDORO ISLAND BEACH-HEAD.

I hope I have given our readers a small insight into the Australian involvement. The text is mine and I take responsibility for any slight inaccuracies. For more info on this unit, go to; www.flyingshovels.homestead.com/3ACS/htlm Ed

The Bar Last month, the ‘Barfly’ was tooooo worn out after tooooo muuucchh beeer and tooooo many bars that he visited that he couldn’t put together a report. So here is a bit of an effort for this month.

CANDY BAR was the first of three new bars to open in the new "Bada-Bing Complex" near

Zapata's Mexican Restaurant. The bar is owned by Troy (Treasure Island) and operated by Troy's wife.

Bare Assets is the smallest of the three new bars in the Bada-Bing Complex. Operated by Peter Taylor I'm sure it will have a distinctly Aussie flavor. Peter has been managing bars in the entertainment for many years.

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Harro's new club in the complex between Zapata's Mexican Restaurant and the Phoenix Hotel was the last of the three new clubs to open. It is the biggest of the three and hands down the most comfortable from a bar hoppers point of view. It is bound to do well with Harro at the helm.

Watch this Space

A new club will open soon where Cheers Bar was located on Perimeter Road. It hasn’t been named yet. I will keep an ear to the ground.

The La Pasha group has taken over Bourbon Street and is converting it into a bar.

If it is half as good as Fantasy, this will be a good addition to the EIGHT new bars opening in this area in the next few months.

Major construction at the Fields Plaza Nightlife Complex is nearing an end. The individual owners have now brought in their own crews to finish the interiors. It looks like we will see the first of these new clubs opening in late June or early July. I look forward to a drink and a look in them all.

Well that’s it for this effort. I am still suffering from my barhop investigations. But get a laugh out of the cartoon below on how they do things in Australia.

Subject: World's shortest fairy tale Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl 'Will you marry me?'

The girl said, 'No!' And the guy lived happily ever after and rode motorcycles and went fishing and hunting and played golf a lot and drank beer and scotch and left the toilet seat up and farted whenever he wanted THE END

This This is is how how they they getget thethe bull bull bucking in in Australian rodeo‘s bucking Australian rodeo‘s.

Pres Jim and other RSL member volunteers at the last Medical Mission at Cutud

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←←Robinsons are located right here Just look at the arrow and that is where the RSL medical mission will be →→→→→ at the Abacan covered court

Above is a map of how to get to the Medical Mission at Abacan Malabanias on the 20th June. Simply, it’s on the way from Friendship area via Hensonville to the Pampang market across the new bridge. The location is on the left as you approach the bridge. Also come along the road from Robinsons Shopping Center on the MacArthur Hwy

And these kids are what the Medical Missions are all about. What a happy bunch

Without these volunteers we would not be able to administer the kids that we look after

“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance”