By ANEEKA SIMONIS
THE acting president of a local Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia (VVAA) branch will stride proudly alongside other ex-servicemen and women in the coming commemorative march in Mount Evelyn.
Amat Binnore, BEM, from the VVAA’s Outer Eastern Melbourne branch, said the march, which will start at the Mount Evelyn Memorial Gardens on 17 August, is about letting veterans know that support is available.
“A lot of veterans want to be by themselves – that’s OK, it’s their choice.
“But we found that in the last 10 years, we have managed to bring a lot of guys out of the hills to be a part of the association and get support.
“It’s about talking to someone who speaks the same language as you,” he said.
Mr Binnore said the Vietnam War was very political, being marked with civil disturbances and a change of government.
He said that he and other veterans weren’t received as heroes when they returned home and that there was very little support.
“When servicemen came home, they were not looked upon well by the public. Guys tried to join the RSL, but they didn’t want to know them.
“Myself and many colleagues were looked down upon,” he recalled.
He said the rejection led veterans to form the VVAA in 1979 with the slogan ’Honour the dead but fight like hell for the living’.
“The VVAA was formed out of adversity because no one else wanted to know us,” Mr Binnoore said.
The remembrance ceremony will begin with an assembly at 10.30am followed by a service at 11am.
Recent former Deputy Commissioner of Veteran Affairs Mike O’Meara will be speaking at the commemorative event while Mr Binnore will give the Ode of Remembrance.
From there, servicemen and local supporters will march through to the Mount Evelyn RSL club.
The outer-eastern branch of the VVAA has more than 330 members and is one of the largest groups in Victoria.
For more information about Mount Evelyn service, contact Roger Boness on 9737 0830.
