Oscar Parry
Residents from Diggers Rest and Woodend feature in a new book that portrays the lives of 38 Australian war veterans.
Titled Never Forgotten – Honouring our Veterans and written by author and Vietnam War veteran Dave Morgan, the book tells stories from veterans across the country.
Morgan served in the regular army during the Vietnam War, and after returning home, studied meteorology and worked overseas in Antarctica.
He began writing to help with his post traumatic stress disorder and has written three other books.
One veteran featured in his new book is Ian Payne from Diggers Rest.
Mr Payne, who was a military policeman in the Vietnam War after being conscripted, played for Essendon Football Club after returning home after service.
“In January 1967, I won the raffle and I got conscripted into the army in June of ‘67 … in those days, conscription was where they drew a marble out of a barrel with a date on it,” Mr Payne said.
“I would say I’ve come through pretty well whereas others haven’t … it’s a hard thing to explain,” he said.
Patricia Payne, his wife, said a lot of Australian veterans did not get adequate recognition or support after returning from last century’s wars.
Woodend resident Warren Gilliland served as an infantry soldier and truck driver between 1967 to 1973 in both Malaya and Vietnam.
He was a roommate of author Dave Morgan while performing recruit training in 1967.
Mr Gilliland said the stories in the book portray life before, during, and after wars.
“What you go through, and it’s certainly different now [with] sort of a lot of support services … it was just ‘hang on, you’re going, see you later’ and you’re out of the door … you get a bit older and you think back on these things,” Mr Gilliland said.
He is now retired and regularly caravans around the country with his partner Joy.
Never Forgotten – Honouring our Veterans will be published by Big Sky Publishing next month and will be available in book and retail stores.
