“RED RAT” NEWSLETTER MARCH 2015

50th ANNIVERSARY HQ1ATF: 2016 Reunion: Caloundra -

13-17 October 2016 Caloundra Waterfront Holiday Park CALOUNDRA (CWHP),

44 Maloja Ave, Caloundra, QLD, 4551 www.caloundraholidaypark.com.au Freecall: 1800 550 138 Email: enquiry@caloundraholidaypark.com.au

Hello all.

2015 already and well into the year. To get the planning underway, Helen and I will be travelling to the Sunshine Coast and meeting with Don Aldous early June to begin the set up for the October 2016 50th Anniversary Reunion. Don will co-ordinate all arrangements on the ground, whilst I will look after the sponsorships, merchandise and registrations. Naturally our most able Treasurer, Helen, will be there to ensure all is in order. (For those of you who know Helen from previous reunions, she had a nasty accident whilst skiing in the French Alps in February – in a small alpine village called La Clusaz. A broken collarbone, six broken ribs and two fractures on her pelvis. A rotten snowboarder collected her on the slopes and then kept going. Six days hospital and now recuperating well. Ouch).

This somewhat “light” issue of Red Rat contains some information from DVA about pension.increases. For more information, look up www.dva.gov.au and search Factsheet DP43. Naturally our Government is continuing its best efforts to rip us off - it’s an interesting piece. Then there are the usual jokes, courtesy of Ian Henderson and Greg Ruming.

Did you know that we have some special retreats around OZ for Vets, and many allow dogs. Take a look at www.vvaa.org.au and click on Retreats. Or ask your wife or kids to do this for you.

As previously advised the 2016 reunion is confirmed for Caloundra on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. We will have the Reunion prices in June and we will be trying to keep any cost increases modest. As this is going to be a special occasion - 50 th anniversary of HQ1ATF in Vietnam, you may want to give some thought to bringing some extended family as well as your partner. As usual the charge for members and partners is subsidised, and other family members are charged at the full cost.

IMPORTANT: this is our 50th Anniversary Reunion. If any member has contacts with some friendly businesses let me know so a letter can be sent requesting a few dollars to offset our 2016 reunion expenses. The more sponsorship we receive, the lower the charges for members and partners. Our Treasurer Helen advises that our financials are in good order with our bank account as at 16 March 2015 standing at $19,160. Brian Harper continues to chase DVA for assistance for our 2014 Commemorative Dinner and hopefully this will come through shortly.

We have invested $15,000 in a 12 month fixed deposit with the Merimbula (NSW) NAB branch where the account is held.

The HQ1ATF website continues to be a good way to keep in touch with other members via our Guest Page (http://hq1atf.123guestbook.com/) - our continued thanks to John Eller, our Webmaster.

Another two members have moved on (see mortality list below) and I ask if you could let us know of any sick members so we can share the news and a few people can pick up the phone and cheer them up somewhat.

That’s all for now. Please pass this Newsletter to any HQ1ATF person not yet part of the Association. AND don’t forget to March on 25 April, We have our new banners in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

Regards, John Verhelst (President and RED RAT Editor)

VALE

ORMSTON, Andrew John.Served in Nui Dat, July 1968 to July 1969. Passed away 15 May 2014;

DIGHTON Herbert Mansfield (Snowy)Served in Nui Dat, December 1967 to December 1968. Passed away early March 2015 (from cancer)

The following link will transfer you to the website of our members who have died since returning to Australia from our operations in South Vietnam, 1966/1972:

http://www.hq1atf.org/mortality.htm

PARTNERS OF VETERANS ASSOCIATIONPhone 1300 553 835 Website: www.pva.org.au

DVA UPDATES. COUNCELLING SERVICES VVCS – Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service, a service founded by Vietnam veterans (Phone: 1800 011 046)

PENSION TYPES AND RATES. www.dva.gov.au/pensions_and_compensation/pensions_and_rates/Pages/index.aspx

For updates on DVA services: www.dva.gov.au/contact_us/dva_offices/Pages/index.aspx#

DECISIONS OF OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: IT GOES ON….AND ON…..Another comment from Len Schulz (VP Vietnam Vet Association of Australia – NSW branch)

Unprecedented attack on disabled veterans’ pensions continues. The New Year brings a continuation of the government’s unprecedented attack on the pensions and benefits of disabled veterans and war widows. It wants the Senate to agree to the following measures.

The downgrading of the indexation of the Service, TPI, other veterans’ disability and War Widows pensions as well as the Income Support Supplement and the equivalent MRCA payments.

This may not be noticed at first because the initial reduction will be small, but over time it compounds and progressively makes a greater and greater difference. Mark Riley on 7 News reported on 11 April 2014 that by 2020 the Service Pension would be round $100 a fortnight less than had no downgrading of indexation taken place. The Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association (CPSA) estimate is much higher than that.

Ceasing for three years any indexation catch ups of income means test free areas.

This will hit Part Service Pensioners such as those whose also receiving a Military Superannuation Pension (eg DFRDB/DFRB/MSBS).

Part Service Pensioners are allowed a small means test free amount before their Service Pension begins to lose 50cents for every dollar of their income. That means test free amount is indexed so that it catches up with increases in the cost of living (inflation).

The government intends to cease this indexation so that, in real terms, Part Service Pensioners’ pensions will be reduced.

Part Service Pensioners will also be hit by the government’s intention to cease indexation of the maximum amount of income allowable before the pensioner becomes ineligible for any amount of Service Pension.

It means that Part Service Pensioners are to be squeezed at both ends.

Part Service Pensioners will be hit yet again by the government’s intention to reduce deeming thresholds then cease their indexation for three years.

This will effectively reduce the real value of pensions.

The government wants these changes to take effect in 2017, which is soon after the next Federal election.

The combination of these changes would, as the years pass, drag disabled veteran and war widow pensioners further and further behind community income standards.

And that’s not all.

Gold Card holders presently receiving the much needed $886 Seniors’ Supplement will be stripped of it.

The three months' backdating of disability pensions will be scrapped. This is a mean one because the  backdating  recognises the unique nature of military service and the medical expenses that accumulate prior to a claim being lodged. Should the government get its way, it would be a considerable loss to disabled veterans.

The question is: ‘Why is the government attacking disabled veterans and war widows?’

This web site on all things Vietnam is very interesting and worth a look.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=vietnam+war+australia&FORM=HDRSC3#a

A Touching Story

Contributed by Ian Henderson

A small boy named Hameed lived in a village in Morocco. None of his classmates liked him because of his stupidity, especially his teacher, who was always yelling at him "You are driving me crazy Hameed!!!!!" 

One day Hameed's mother came into school to check on how he was doing. The teacher told his mother honestly, that her son is simply a disaster, getting very low marks and even she had never seen such a dumb boy in her entire teaching career!!!! The mother was shocked at the feedback and withdrew her son from the school & even moved to another town!!!!! 

25 years later, the teacher was diagnosed with an incurable cardio disease! All the doctors strongly advised her to have an open heart operation, which only one surgeon could perform....... Left with no other options, the teacher decided to have the operation, which was successful...... 

When she opened her eyes after the surgery she saw a handsome doctor smiling down at her! She wanted to thank him, but could not talk. Her face started to turn blue, she raised her hand, trying to tell him something but eventually died! 

The doctor was shocked and was trying to work out what went wrong, when he turned around he saw our friend Hameed, working as a cleaner in the clinic, who had unplugged the oxygen equipment to connect his Hoover!!!!! 

…don't tell me you thought that Hameed became a doctor !?!

JOKES OF THE WEEK From Ian Henderson.

An Irish farmer named Paddy had a car accident. He was hit by a truck owned by the Eversweet Company.

In court the Eversweet Company's hot-shot solicitor was questioning Paddy.

“Didn't you say to the police at the scene of the accident, I'm fine?” asked the solicitor.Paddy responded: ”Well, I'll tell you what happened. I'd just loaded my fav'rit cow, Bessie, into da...”

“I didn't ask for any details”, the solicitor interrupted. ”Just answer the question. Did you not say at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine?'”

Paddy said, ”Well, I'd just got Bessie into da trailer and I was drivin' down da road...”

The solicitor interrupted again and said,”Your Honour, I am trying to establish the fact that at the scene of the accident this man told the police on the scene that he was fine. Now several weeks after the accident, he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question.”

By this time, the Judge was fairly interested in Paddy's answer and said to the solicitor: ”I'd like to hear what he has to say about his favourite cow, Bessie.”

Paddy thanked the Judge and proceeded, “Well, as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my fav'rit cow, into de trailer and was drivin' her down de road when this huge Eversweet truck

and trailer came tundering tru a stop sign and hit me trailer right in da side. I was trown into one ditch and Bessie was trown into da udder. By Jaysus I was hurt, very bad like, and didn't want to move. However, I could hear old Bessie moanin' and groanin.'  I knew she was in terrible pain just by her groans.

Shortly after da accident, a policeman on a motorbike turned up. He could hear Bessie moanin' and groanin' too, so he went over to her. After he looked at her and saw her condition, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes.

Den da policeman came across de road, gun still in hand, looked at me, and said, “How are you feelin'?”

“Now wot da hell would you say?”

From Greg Ruming.

An elderly lady was invited to an old friend's home for dinner one evening. She was impressed by the way her lady friend preceded every request to her husband with endearing terms such as: Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, etc.

The couple had been married almost 70 years and, clearly, they were still very much in love. 

While the husband was in the living room, her lady friend leaned over to her hostess to say, 'I think it's wonderful that, after all these years, you still call your husband all those loving names.'

The elderly lady hung her head, 'I have to tell you the truth,' she said, 'his name slipped my mind about 10 years ago, and I'm scared to death to ask the cranky old asshole what his name is.'

YOUR COMMITTEE FOR 2015-16 Meet the Committee for 2015-2016. We are here to assist you in whatever way we can, as well as prepare for the October 2016 Reunion.

President : John Verhelst (also RED RAT Editor) PO Box 325, Gladesville, NSW 1675 john@jhconsult.com.au 0437 212121,

Secretary: Brian Harper 25 Charles Street South South Launceston, Tas. 7249

0417 074 616 vvansec@netspace.net.au

Vice President: Don Aldous (and Ground Organiser for 2016 Reunion)getreal@sunland.com.au0417 766 628

Treasurer: Helen Lange (wife of John V) helen@jhconsult.com.au

Committee Rod Barrett 34 Wishart Loop, Wanneroo, WA 6065 0407 744 322 rsbarrett@iinet.net.au

Ian Palfery 11 Dunsterville Street Sandringham, VIC 3191 palfery@iinet.net.au

Norm Austin representing the 66ers. PO Box 389, Moss Vale, NSW 2577 normanbaustin@yahoo.com.au 0427 854 141

Webmaster: John Eller jnjeller@bigpond.com