Dying breed

[Rob3]

And soon forgotten.
I wonder who will be the last surviving National Serviceman.
And if he will be publicly honored before he dies.

2/778100.

[Slunnie]

And soon forgotten.
I wonder who will be the last surviving National Serviceman.
And if he will be publicly honored before he dies.

2/778100.

It is pretty sad. We had our last National Servicemans Day service this year due to numbers. Its fascinating listening to the storys.

[ramblingboy42]

the youngest called up would have to be 70 , the youngest served in vietnam would be I think 74/5

a guy called Brian Barker now 70yo attented the last enlistment in september 1972.

it could have been me, but my number never came up, more fool me joined regs in 1978.

[jonesfam]

I am currently reading "Vietnam an Australian War Story" by Paul Ham.
According to said book our "Nasho's" made pretty good soldiers & were multiple times better than those from the Master Race - sorry - USA.
Jonesfam

[101RRS]

the youngest called up would have to be 70 , the youngest served in vietnam would be I think 74/5

a guy called Brian Barker now 70yo attented the last enlistment in september 1972.

it could have been me, but my number never came up, more fool me joined regs in 1978.

Why would you only consider the Vietnam era - national service was in place in the 50s with the Korean war and on a bit - my Uncle who is currently 87 was called up in 1953 but did not go overseas.

[Barraman]

I'm still here - called up in 71!

[austastar]

Hi,
I dodged it, joined the RAAF instead.

[V8Ian]

Hi,
I dodged it, joined the RAAF instead.
Smart fellas, them Raffies, sending the Officers to the front. [bigwhistle]

[p38arover]

My brother who’s well into his 80s was a Nasho. I’ll ask him when he did his service, it would have been late 50s.

My birthday came up in the lottery in about 68 but I failed the medical.

[3toes]

Father did his in the fifties. There are not many of his intake left

He was waiting by the planes to go to Suez. As airfield defence would have been first Australian troops in to secure the airfields for RAAF squadrons then based in Malta to move into. This was part of stage 2 of the plan. All though came to an end before they took off

[NavyDiver]

Hi,
I dodged it, joined the RAAF instead.
Shhh we might [bigwhistle] Just kidding!

My dad is a Nasho.

[3toes]

A couple of years ago I was attempting to internet a documentary maker I know that it was now or never to put their stories down and make a series about it

The public see just those who went to Vietnam their experiences were much more varied and wider than that

When they are gone so are the details of where and what was happening and how they responded to it

[Slunnie]

A couple of years ago I was attempting to internet a documentary maker I know that it was now or never to put their stories down and make a series about it

The public see just those who went to Vietnam their experiences were much more varied and wider than that

When they are gone so are the details of where and what was happening and how they responded to it

What I love about our local member, is that when he takes the time to chat to various local members who have served or he researches their stories and then during the services such as VVD and NSD services he then tells us all about their particular story. Its actually really really cool. He's been the minister for veterans affairs and defence personnel, but he is genuinely really into what he does and each persons story.

[superquag]

And soon forgotten.
I wonder who will be the last surviving National Serviceman.
And if he will be publicly honored before he dies.

2/778100.

Going on past performances..... 'NOT' by a Federal Government. !:angry2:

[JDNSW]

I had to register, but callup was deferred as I was at university. When I finished in 1962 it depended on your birth date, and I was balloted out. So I missed out on National Service.

[Xtreme]

the youngest called up would have to be 70 , the youngest served in vietnam would be I think 74/5

a guy called Brian Barker now 70yo attented the last enlistment in september 1972.

it could have been me, but my number never came up, more fool me joined regs in 1978.

I was in the 6th intake and there was an intake every 12 weeks, so those in the 1st intake would now be 77 or 78 years old.

[Saitch]

I know of two 'Regular Army', Viet Nam vets. One is 76 and the other is 80ish.

[JDNSW]

I was in the 6th intake and there was an intake every 12 weeks, so those in the 1st intake would now be 77 or 78 years old.

I think the number of the intake must have restarted - I am almost 81, and i would have done national service if I had not gone to university. But I think it was reshaped for the Vietnam War a few years later, and that is probably when the numbers started for the intake.

I just checked Wikipedia. Conscription in Australia started in 1909, but was only for home defence. Attempts to broaden it for overseas service during WW1 failed, and it ended in 1929. Reintroduced with compulsory training for unmarried men in 1939, it became conscription for 18-35 and single men 35-45 in 1942, but again mostly only on Australian territory. This seems to have ended in 1946.

In 1951 conscription was introduced for all males 18 or over. This was the scheme I had to register under. It was ended in 1959, while I was still at university.

Conscription was reintroduced in 1964, when the use of conscripts overseas was also legalised, nding in 1972.

[ramblingboy42]

I was in the local sub-branch the other night having a countery with my 90yo father in law.

he has had a lot to with the sub-branch previously so still knew a lot of faces.

I was shocked and stunned at the general appearance and physical condition of many of these vietnam vets , and had to ask him who they were , as I had previously known most of them , just did not recognise who they were.

I'm approaching 70yo and most of the old diggers were 75-78 , and I could not help thinking how sorry they looked and can only assume it is because of their service in Vietnam that they are like this.

I am enjoying such good general health and vitality and they are not.

This is what the gucci suited non military experienced DVA representatives should be seeing....the RSL is about the only place where the old diggers can can go where they are understood.

btw I served 8yrs including 2 active tours to Malaysia and I will be ramping up my activity in the sub-branch from now on.

[JDNSW]

I think that by the time they get to retirement age the apparent age of people depends to a very large extent on their life experience. And life experience can be bad both in and out of the army.

I first became aware of this when I attended a high school 50th class reunion. Everyone there would have been within a year of 67, yet anyone looking at them would have put the age range from late thirties to mid nineties. The only Vietnam veteran I have regular contact with (that I know of) is about 70, and looks mid sixties. On the other hand, my brother-in-law, who served through most of WW2 (as a volunteer) looked ten years older than he was when he died at 83 - but I attribute that mostly to the smoking that the army introduced him to!

[Saitch]

On a lighter note, I remember a good mate of mine getting his Nasho callup. This bloke had the typical 70's, flowing locks, to halfway down his back. (As we all did)

His twin brother, who somehow eluded the callup and I took great delight in sitting said mate in a kitchen chair and giving him what we both thought would be an 'Army Hairstyle'.

Not long after this, everything was canned and our short-haired friend never had to front up for service.
He wasn't game to be seen in public for a couple of weeks, I tell you. [biggrin]

[3toes]

Was on the phone to my father who mentioned they are closing their National Service organization as due to age there were less than 20 left and not all in good health.

Who will be on the footpath outside shops selling badges and poppies?

[V8Ian]

Was on the phone to my father who mentioned they are closing their National Service organization as due to age there were less than 20 left and not all in good health.

Who will be on the footpath outside shops selling badges and poppies?
Timor and Iraq vets, Vietnam was not our last deployment.

[3toes]

Was thinking about the number of people involved. Even allowing for those who came after think the total pool of people is shrinking. Is it time to encourage other service organisations to become involved so it does not ‘die off’.

[ramblingboy42]

nsw/qld vets free veterans day at Australia Zoo on 3rd November.

if youre a vet come along , show your card for entry, vet+one.

[RANDLOVER]

I think that by the time they get to retirement age the apparent age of people depends to a very large extent on their life experience. And life experience can be bad both in and out of the army...........

In a similar vein, I saw a story about a person who had a diminished life experience after serving their country in the movie "The Spy" about "Sonja Wigert was a successful film star in Norway and Sweden during the 1940s. During the Second World War she was an active member of the resistance and also served as a spy." Sonja Wigert, skbl.se - Sonja Wigert (http://www.skbl.se/sv/artikel/SonjaWigert), Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon (article by Jennifer Vintkvist), retrieved 2022-10-22.

Unfortunately as she was a double agent many people thought she was a Nazi and her career and reputation suffered, so it seems she moved to Spain from Scandinavia to get away from it all.