The following formal submission have been made public
Submitter: Mark HornerAnzac Hall and Glazed Link
As an ADF Veteran that joined in 1980 as a 16 year old army Apprentice I joined in the era of the great peace, trained and mentored by Vietnam and a couple of Korean Veterans.
When I visited the AWM in the early 80s I recall it as a sombre place reflecting on WW1 and WW2 and the central piece being G for George in the main hall. My late uncle flew as a navigator with 626 Squadron so it a vivid reminder of the planes he operated with on his sortie of missions.
When I deployed to South West Africa now Namibia in 1989 with the United Nations and 17 Construction Squadron it was a surreal experience to be doing what I had spent 9 years training for. Upon my return and some time later I returned to the AWM with my children and saw nothing of my deployment until a few years later when I spotted the white workshop Yogi Bear landrover and a set of DCPUs that we wore. I felt humbled and proud of the recognition betstowed by the AWM.
However the RSL was less inclusive at my local branch where they wanted to honor those that has served and deployed but when I presented they told me I had not been anywhere (contary to my Australian and UN medals awarded).
To have some space in the AWM that tells of the deployment of ADF and AFP et al on UN and other deployments etc since 1947 is critical for our nations history and also the personal contributions and sacrifices that we made as professional service personnel. I felt that I had achived due recognition by those small displays on my deployment now 32 years ago and know that my peers also have similar experiences of a nation that recognises in such a such as way in the AWM.
I, as a post vietnam era veteran hope that this development is successful in capturing what has occured since 1947 outside the main ADF operations as it is a large part of our history with many living veterans and their stories to be captured and told.
When I visited the AWM in the early 80s I recall it as a sombre place reflecting on WW1 and WW2 and the central piece being G for George in the main hall. My late uncle flew as a navigator with 626 Squadron so it a vivid reminder of the planes he operated with on his sortie of missions.
When I deployed to South West Africa now Namibia in 1989 with the United Nations and 17 Construction Squadron it was a surreal experience to be doing what I had spent 9 years training for. Upon my return and some time later I returned to the AWM with my children and saw nothing of my deployment until a few years later when I spotted the white workshop Yogi Bear landrover and a set of DCPUs that we wore. I felt humbled and proud of the recognition betstowed by the AWM.
However the RSL was less inclusive at my local branch where they wanted to honor those that has served and deployed but when I presented they told me I had not been anywhere (contary to my Australian and UN medals awarded).
To have some space in the AWM that tells of the deployment of ADF and AFP et al on UN and other deployments etc since 1947 is critical for our nations history and also the personal contributions and sacrifices that we made as professional service personnel. I felt that I had achived due recognition by those small displays on my deployment now 32 years ago and know that my peers also have similar experiences of a nation that recognises in such a such as way in the AWM.
I, as a post vietnam era veteran hope that this development is successful in capturing what has occured since 1947 outside the main ADF operations as it is a large part of our history with many living veterans and their stories to be captured and told.