june issue of the rsl monthly newsletter

1

Angeles City Sub Branch

Philippines

wwwrslangelescitycom

lsquoLest We Forgetrsquo

Clubhouse Ponderosa Hotel

President

Vice Presidents

Secretary

Treasurer

Editor

James Curtis-Smith Noel Roach Vic Meller Dallas Drake Bob Young Larry Smith

Email addressrsquo

presidentrslangelescitycom

secretaryrslangelescitycom

treasurerrslangelescitycom

editorrslangelescitycom

Newsletter 26 June 2009

PRESIDENTS REPORT - June 2009 The medical mission at Barangay Cutud was again a huge success with 608 children each being examined and assessed by Region 3 Police doctors and prescriptions filled by this Sub Branch Really a great day and makes the fund raising ever so much more meaningful Photos appear on the web page The next mission is on Saturday June 20 at Abacan Malabanias and a map of how to get there and detail is also on the web page (also see map on page 16 of this newsletter) If you have time drop by and have a look and or lend a hand It would be remiss of me if I were not to mention publicly the tremendous amount of work that Dallas Drake our Secretary does for this Sub Branch Just this last month and through a network of contacts that Dallas has developed we obtained a grant from Department of Veterans Affairs of a sum in excess of AUD$7000 for an inscribed marble tablet of remembrance from this Sub Branch to be added to the Hellships Memorial at Subic The date of dedication of this memorial is yet to be finalized and more information will appear through the Newsletter and web page This recent grant of course follows on from the Best grant received last year for administration of the Sub Branch for computers equipment etc etc and Dallas has prepared and lodged yet another application for a grant for this year We have TIP training for a few days prior to Vietnam

2

Veterans Day with Reg Tulip an authorized trainer again attending under a grant that Dallas applied for and submitted Apart from help from others supplying the little information that Dallas did not have he has prepared all these applications single handed which is a major task when you have a look at the forms and information sought in each case by the persons responsible for making the grants Apart from the grants the job of Secretary comprises so much in administration particularly when we have a Sub Branch comprising of over 300 members Thank you Dallas on behalf of us all for your continuing work

On Tuesday June 23 the Sub Branch will be hosting a visit from Mr Frank Lodge Senior Migration Officer and his deputy Mr Christian Jones of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship attached to the Australian Embassy at Manila They will be delivering a discussion on Partner Visas and other visas and there will be plenty of opportunity for questions Any persons interested are invited to attend The afternoon will commence at 100pm and be held at the Ponderosa Hotel Our Saturday evening raffles at Shanorsquos are continuing and maintaining an average return to our Charity Account of in excess of P600000 If any body knows who ldquoborrowedrdquo our banner from Shanorsquos a couple of weeks ago could you please arrange for its return or let me know where I can collect it Thanks to all who provide the prizes each week and to those members who attend to help sell the

tickets and be there to enjoy a couple of hours of ldquoconvivialityrdquo More next month JAMES E CURTIS-SMITH President

New Members STILL new members are coming along and joining our Sub branch We welcome the

following new members Thomas Seiderwand Kenneth Graham Geoffrey Knighton

Robert Graham Preben Olsen Denis Moir John Christie Russell Goode Eric

Grunnet Aiza Otic Stephen Smith Wayne Hogg Russell Pitt Rudolf Olree

Timothy Wright Welcome back to Jeff Duncan

LIFE SUBSCRIPTION MEMBERSHIP NOW AVAILABLE ---

Any member may now become a LIFE SUBSCRIBER of RSL AUSTRALIA A Special Life Subscriber membership ID is given The Angeles City RSL Sub Branch has set Rates in both Australian Dollars and Philippine Peso JUST DO IT now and never worry about Annual Dues Notices again Contact Dallas for further details on rate applicable to your age as of last Birthday

Here is the banner for the next Medical

Mission at Abacud Malabanias 20 June

Banner for the next Medical Mission at

Abacan Malabanias on 20 June 2009

3

MORE MEMBERS BENEFITS

Another Two Sponsorrsquos have come on board with a 10 discount for members

Bunny Burger and Bare Assets are now offering this discount on production

of your RSL card

Kokomo Group which include Voodoo King of Diamonds Angelwitch and

Kokomorsquos (Drinks and Food) will issue discount cards (20) to our members REQUIREMENT Send a head shoulder photograph by email to secretaryrslangelescitycom or drop your picture to Kokomorsquos Office attention Derek along

with your RSL ID

VISIT BY AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY STAFF WHO Australia Embassy Immigration amp Visa Personnel

WHERE RSL Club Room at Ponderosa Hotel Mountain View Angeles City

WHY Presentation on Visa Requirements to Australia WHEN 1300 hrs (100pm) Tue 23 June 2009 DURATION About two hours depending on attendee participation

OPERATION OVERLORD ldquo D DAYrdquo 65TH ANNIVERSARY

June 6th 1944 was the start date of Operation Overlord which saw the allies march into Europe and then onto Germany finishing the European theatre of WW2 It was the time

Supreme Commander General bdquoIke‟ Eisenhower famously said ldquoLet‟s gordquo

June 6th 2009 saw a major commemoration of that day in 1944 at the US War Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer above the cliff face at Omaha Beach Present were many thousands of

French American Canadian and British ex servicemen and women of the time and their

families

Keynote speakers were US President Barack Obama UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and French President Nicolas Sarkozy Prince

Charles attended as did actor Tom Hanks who starred in the movie ldquoSaving Private Ryanrdquo where the opening scenes were filmed at Omaha Beach

Below is a brief part of US President Obamarsquos speech at the commemorative

service as reported by press present

THE D-Day bravery of Allied forces changed the course of the 20th century

Friends and veterans what we cannot forget - what we must not forget - is that D-Day was a time and a place where

the bravery and selflessness of a few was able to change the course of an entire century Mr Obama said at an

American war cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer overlooking Omaha beach

At an hour of maximum danger amid the bleakest of circumstances men who thought themselves ordinary found it

4

within themselves to do the extraordinary

Mr Obama said that the landing of British Canadian and American forces on the beaches of Normandy had turned the

tide of World War II to liberate Western Europe from the grip of Nazi Germany

It was unknowable then but so much of the progress that would define the 20th century on both sides of the

Atlantic came down to the battle for a slice of beach only six miles long and two miles wide he said

Had the Allies failed here Hitlers occupation of this continent might have continued indefinitely he added

Instead victory here secured a foothold in France It opened a path to Berlin And it made possible the achievements

that followed the liberation of Europe the Marshall Plan the NATO alliance and the shared prosperity and security

that flowed from each

However there was another OPERATION OVERLORD in 1971 which was a tri-nation

operation in Long Khanh province involving Australian New Zealand and American troops

This Operation Overload started on 6 June 1971 after reports from the Special Air Service (SAS) Long Range

Recce Patrol (LRRP) that there were large concentrations of enemy troops in the province next to Australialsquos AO

Phuoc Tuy Province

Operation Overlord was conducted on the

Long Khanh and Phuoc Tuy province

border It was initiated as a result of the

buffer zone between the two provinces being

relative free from 1ATF or American

interference The VCNVA troops used this

opportunity to train equip and move into

Phuoc Tuy province to attack harass the

local villages almost at will 1ATF and the

Americans decided to conduct an operation

(Overlord) with the view to destroy the

enemy in that region The plan was for the

28 US Battalion to block the north-east and

east along the Suoi Luc river 4RAR was to

block in the south and A Sqn 3Cav

Regiment to block along the Suoi Ran river

3RAR was to provide the searching troops

and hopefully destroy any enemy found in

its area of search Operational control was vested in the commander of the 1

st Australian Taskforce (1ATF) who located his HQ atop

Courtenay Hill within the Courtenay rubber plantation The worst casualties in the operation was when an APC with

mounted troops of the Defence amp Employment Platoon (D amp E Pl) deployed to secure the operational HQ was hit

with an RPG which detonated the claymore box on the top of the APC This resulted in the driver and the infantry

section commander being the only troops on the APC which werenlsquot killed

Like any major operation preparations and movement alerts the enemy that a major somethinglsquo is happening

As the troops landed into their designated LZs B Coy 3 RAR was no doubt seen by the VC as they began their

search Captured documents later indicated that their LZ was no further than 500 metres away

5

It has been suggested that the VC who stayed behind and fought the battle were just a rear party designed to hold up

the searching troops as the rest of the regiment escaped Even though the Heavy Weapons Coy of 333 NVA with its

forty or more troops were still able to stall 5 platoon B Coy for almost eight hours as they escaped into pre designated escape routes

A great mate of mine whose citation is shown below was on his second tour with 3 RAR when his platoon was

bogged down by heavy machine guns He was later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) by the

Governor of Tasmania who commented that he didnrsquot know what you had to do these days to get the Victoria Cross

(VC) Ed

Army Number 61712

Substantive Rank Private

Christian Name Peter John

Surname FYFE

Honour or Award DCM

Private Peter John Fyfe enlisted in the Australian Army on 26 January 1966 and was allotted to the Royal Australian

Infantry Corps He joined the 3rd Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment on 20 January 1970 and arrived in

South Vietnam with the Battalion on 12 February 1971 On 7 June 1971 during Operation Overlord Private Fyfe was

an acting Section Commander in 5th Platoon B Company of the Battalion when the platoon came under heavy and

accurate fire from an enemy bunker system Two members of the left forward section of the platoon were seriously

wounded in this engagement and Private Fyfe was ordered to bring his section forward to bring fire onto the enemy to

allow evacuation of the wounded

Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own personal safety Private Fyfe led his section forward

positioned them and then moved himself to within ten metres of a bunker from which heavy machine gun and small

arms fire was being received Private Fyfe threw a number of grenades at the bunker and directed his sections fire to

neutralise the bunker and thus allow evacuation of the wounded Private Fyfe was wounded in the foot early in the

action which lasted for more than four hours but he refused medical treatment and continued to direct his sections

fire against the enemy During this period Private Fyfe constantly exposed himself to enemy fire in his efforts to

command his section and effect redistribution of their ammunition

Private Fyfes outstanding leadership his complete disregard for his own personal safety and his insistence on

remaining on duty during the battle although wounded ensured such a measure of aggressiveness within his section

as to be instrumental in allowing the platoon to successfully evacuate all the wounded and maintain the platoon

perimeter during the long engagement against a numerically superior enemy force His leadership and bravery reflect

great credit upon himself his Regiment and the Australian Army

Final note on Peter Fyfe lsquoFyfeyrsquo was a PTE rifleman on his first tour with 3 RAR and when he returned in1971

he was a CPL in transport A lsquosmall indiscretionrsquo saw him reverted back to PTE and sent back to the platoons as

part of his punishment After lsquoOverlordrsquo he was medivaced to Australia on 14 June 71 He is currently a Pensions

Officer working for the Huonville RSL south of Hobart Tasmania Ed

And of course 6 June was also the 40th

Anniversary of the Battle of Binh Ba in Phuoc Tuy

province in (then) Sth Vietnam in 1969 Below is a media release from Allan Griffin Minister for

Veteranrsquos Affairs

Minister for Veteranslsquo Affairs the Hon Alan Griffin MP mailing list VA049 Saturday 6 June 2009

6

AUSTRALIAN VICTORY AT BINH BA REMEMBERED 40 YEARS ON

Veterans of one of Australialsquos most comprehensive victories of the Vietnam War will be honoured today at

commemorations marking the 40th

anniversary of the Battle of Binh Ba The Minister for Veteranslsquo Affairs Alan

Griffin will attend the commemorations at the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial in Canberra to pay

tribute to the bravery and discipline of some 330 Australians who were involved in the battle

―Forty years ago today on 6 June 1969 a ready reaction force was deployed from Nui Dat to deal with rocket fire

coming from Binh Ba village directed against an Australian tank The force comprised D Company of the 5th

Battalion mounted in armoured personnel carriers from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment and supported by tanks from the 1st

Armoured Regiment The village was less than 10 kilometres from Nui Dat Mr Griffin said

―Within hours the force was engaged in fighting of an intensity rarely matched in Australialsquos experience of the

Vietnam War It was quickly apparent that the enemy force comprised both main force elements of the North

Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong guerrillas

―The two-day battle involved several sweeps through the village and some vicious close quarter fighting Additional

troops from the 5th Battalion were called in as cut-off parties Helicopter artillery and engineer support was utilised

in a powerful and disciplined combined arms attack to drive the enemy from the village One Australian Private

Wayne Teeling was killed and 11 were wounded More than 100 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong perished in the

battle with many more wounded

Mr Griffin said battle honours were awarded to the Royal Australian Regiment the 1st Armoured Regiment and the

3rd Cavalry Regiment for Binh Ba

―Despite 40 years passing since the end of the Vietnam War the Battle of Binh Ba is still not widely known by those

outside military and historical circles however it was a significant victory for Australian forces Mr Griffin said

―I am pleased the Australian Government was able to support todaylsquos commemorations with $50000 in funding to

ensure the service and sacrifice of all those involved in the Battle of Binh Ba is appropriately honoured

Some 60000 Australians served in the Vietnam War Of those some 520 were killed and more than 3000 wounded

Australia remembers and commemorates their service each year on Vietnam Veteranslsquo Day 18 August

Japan ambassador apologizes for Bataan Death March

AP ndash World War II veteran Joe Alexander right a survivor of the 1942 Bataan

Death March which saw thousands hellip

Sun May 31 859 pm ET

SAN ANTONIO ndash Japans ambassador to the United States apologized Saturday

on behalf of his country for the 65-mile forced walk of US troops and allies

during World War II that left some 11000 prisoners of war dead

As former prime ministers of Japan have repeatedly stated The Japanese people

should bear in mind that we must look into the past and to learn from the lessons

of history Ichiro Fujisaki said at the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor the San Antonio Express-News

reported

He said his country was extending a heartfelt apology for having caused tremendous damage and suffering to many

people including prisoners of war those who have undergone tragic experiences

7

Although Fujisaki received a standing ovation from about half of the 400 to 500 attendees others said the apology

was overdue and didnt seem sincere

Former POW Hershel C Boushey told the ambassador that he did not accept your apology and that the atrocities

and mistreatment many suffered was severe

In 1942 Japanese captors marched about 78000 prisoners of war mdash 12000 Americans and 66000 Filipinos mdash for

six days on the Philippine island of Luzon to a prisoner-of-war camp in what became known as the Bataan Death

March Many prisoners were denied food water or medical care and some were stabbed or beheaded

As many as 11000 prisoners died according to the US Air Force

Survivor Tony Montoya of Woodland Calif also questioned Fujisakis sincerity

This young man knows very little of the atrocities Montoya said They probably rehearsed him on it

Abie Abraham of Renfrew Pa said it was time to move on I was never one of those guys that worried about

whether we got an apology or not said Abraham a 95-year-old vet

The way I look at it is mdash Japan is now our ally Abraham said Why should we get an apology from them

Retired Tech Sgt Joe Alexander of San Antonio said he was satisfied because we finally got the apology that we

wanted

About 73 surviving Bataan Death March veterans of the Army and former Army Air Corps members attended the

convention Saturday which served as the march survivors final reunion

Some advice for members using the Internet Differences Between http and https

THIS IS IMPORTANT What is the difference between http and https

The main difference between http and https is its all about keeping you secure

HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transport Protocol which is just a fancy way of saying its a protocol (a language in a

manner of speaking) for data to be passed back and forth between web servers and clients

The important thing is the letter S which makes the difference between HTTP and HTTPS

The S (big surprise) stands for Secure

If you visit a website or webpage and look at the address in the web browser it will likely begin with the following

http This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular unsecure language In other words it

is possible for someone to eavesdrop on your computers conversation with the website If you fill out a form on the

website someone might see the information you send to that site This is why you never -ever- enter your credit card

number in an http website

But if the web address begins with https that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure

code that no one can eavesdrop on

You understand why this is so important right If a website ever asks you to enter your credit card information you

should automatically look to see if the web address begins with https

If it doesnt DO NOT enter sensitive information like a credit card number or your banking details

What is the value of the money

In a small town on the South Coast of France the holiday season is in full swing but it is raining so there is not

too much business happening Everyone is heavily in debt

Luckily a rich American tourist arrives in the foyer of the small local hotel He asks for a room and puts a Euro

100 note on the reception counter takes a key and goes to inspect the room located up the stairs on the third floor

The hotel owner takes the banknote and in a hurry rushes to his meat supplier to whom he owes euro100

The butcher takes the money and races to his supplier to pay his debt of euro100

The wholesaler rushes to the farmer to pay euro100 for pigs he purchased some time ago

8

The farmer triumphantly gives the euro100 note to a local prostitute who gave him her services on credit

The prostitute goes quickly to the hotel as she owed the hotel euro100 for her hourly room use to entertain clients

At that moment the rich American is coming down to reception and informs the hotel owner that the proposed

room is unsatisfactory and takes his euro100 back and departs

There was no profit or income But everyone no longer has any debt and the small townspeople look

optimistically towards their future

COULD THIS BE THE SOLUTION TO THE Global Financial Crisis

lsquoBEYOND THE BLACK STUMPrsquo

In Australia that saying means way out-back somewherersquo used in place of the saying the back orsquo

Burkersquo However it is also the name of a cartoon strip created by one of Australialsquos great

cartoonistlsquos Sean Leahy Sean has a political cartoon published in the editorial section of

Queenslandlsquos main newspaper The Courier Mail where it appears six day a week Sean also has his

Beyond the Black Stumprsquo cartoon published in that paper seven days a week The characters include a

platypus pelican kangaroo emu cockatoo echidna koalalsquos wombat to name a few Sean has

given me approval to use his Beyond the Black Stumprsquo cartoon in our newsletters to which I thank

him So here is the first one Ed

wwwbeyondtheblackstumpcom

9

AUSTRALIAS oldest man and last remaining World War I digger Jack Ross has

died aged 110 (3 June 2009)

Mr Ross died peacefully in his sleep at the Golden Oaks Nursing Home

in the central Victorian city of Bendigo about 4am this morning

Mr Ross turned 110 on March 9 this year

As an 18-year-old Mr Ross enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in

January 1918 and trained at the wireless training school before he was

posted to the 1st Battalion at Broadmeadows camp in Victoria

But the war ended before he could be posted overseas and he was

demobilised on Christmas Eve

He served Australia again in World War II as a member of the volunteer

defence corps

Mr Ross was awarded the 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance

medal in 1998 to commemorate the end of WWI He also received the

Centenary Medal for his contribution to Australian society in the 100

years since federation

In civilian life Mr Ross worked for the Victorian railways for more than

45 years before retiring in 1964

He is survived by his daughter Peggy son Robert four grandchildren

and nine great-grandchildren

Mr Ross who had a penchant for chocolate but didnt drink or smoke

was known as Pop to staff at Golden Oaks

A life-long member of the Labor Party he marched in Anzac Day parades until recent years when he preferred to

watch the marches from the comfort of his bed

It is understood Mr Rosss daughter Peggy Ashburn who lives in Bendigo saw her father on Tuesday but was out of

town today and is now travelling back after learning of his death Lest we forget

Mens health bottom line

(An article I found in the Hobart (Tasmania) Mercury Newspaper today 5 June) The message is there fellarsquos Ed DAMIEN BROWN June 05 2009 0800am

WHEN it comes to health Health Minister Lara Giddings does not beat around the bush A rectal examination is not everyones idea of a good day out but it does save lives Ms Giddings said yesterday

Too many men are dying of embarrassment every single day

Ms Giddings launched a new light-hearted booklet aimed at getting men to take health seriously Focusing on cancer

prevention and detection MANual uses the analogy of a car to get across the message of early detection and

prevention

Cancer Screening and Control Services state manager Gail Raw said that sadly men took better care of cars than

their own bodies

Women have been putting their legs up in the air and enduring the likes of a Pap smear which is equally as

uncomfortable as a rectal exam but we arent complaining she said

Too many men are dying unnecessarily from cancers that could be easily prevented

Labor MP Ross Butler said he had been macho about health-related matters until he was diagnosed with prostate

cancer that required a life-saving operation

Because I got it early and took those steps I am now up and running and better than before he said

Ms Giddings said she hoped the manual would make a difference

I suspect the place we will find this is in the toilet That is where men do most of their reading isnt it she said

So women if you hear chuckling from the en-suite dont worry

10

Below is a letter from the Blue Ryan to Prime Minister Rudd concerning the

TampPI Pension rates One Ex Service Organisation (ESO) still working for us Ed

The Australian Federation of Totally and Permanently

Incapacitated Ex Servicemen and Women Ltd

(Incorporated in the ACT)

DIFFERENT CONFLICT- SAME SACRIFICE

Patron-in-Chief

Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC

Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia

1 June 2009

The Hon Kevin Rudd

Prime Minister

Parliament House

Canberra

ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister

I am writing to express the disappointment of the TPI Federation concerning an outcome in the 2009

Budget I am aware that a response to a matter of this kind would usually be the responsibility of the

Minister for Veteranslsquo Affairs however as the head of the government a direct response from you is

preferred on this occasion

In 1998 the Old Age Pension Centrelink Disability Pension War Widows and Service Pension indexation

arrangements were altered to allow them to be adjusted in a fairer way by the use of Male Total Average

Weekly Earnings (MTAWE) or the Consumer Price Index (CPI) whichever is the greater and for those

pensions not to fall below 25 of MTAWE

For some 10 years the TPI Federation made representation to government to be treated in the same fair

manner as other pension recipients and for the TPI payment be adjusted to maintain its relativity to other

government pensions

In a joint Press Release from yourself and Alan Griffin just prior to the last election you said

―Our veterans have paid a very high price for their service to our country This is about fixing an

injustice We have listened to our nationlsquos veterans and we are acting It has been budgeted to cost

$61 million from September 20 2008 ndash the day of indexation They deserve a Federal Labor

Government that will finally fix this issue rather than a tired cynical old Howard Government that

has consistently ignored them There has been no other issue that has been the subject of greater

sustained and passionate concern in the veteranslsquo policy area over the last ten years We have

heard from many individuals and representatives of the Veteranslsquo community about the

importance of this issue In 1997 when the Howard Government indexed a range of other

pensions they left out the above general rate disability pensions Since that time there has been

an erosion of these pensionrsquos values compared to the broader community (Emphasis added)

From March 2008 the indexation arrangements of the TPI and other DVA disability pensions were

brought into line with all the other major government pensions The bonus payments of December 2008

11 were also passed on to most TPIs We are at a loss to understand why the increase to pensions announced in the budget

was not passed on to TPIs and other DVA Disability Pension recipients

The reason for our disappointment was articulated by Paul Kelly in the Australian when he said

―Australian households have never been so wellndashprepared for recession They are cash-rich showered with tax cuts the

biggest pension increase in history tax breaks for business and home buyers a parental leave scheme school

infrastructure investment in clean energy roads rail ports a national broadband scheme renewed commitments to

defence in the new white paper funds for innovation universities the car industry with the Reserve Bank of Australia

cutting interest rates by a whopping four percentage points since the crisis began ―

But nothing for Australialsquos disabled veterans

In a Press Release in May 2007 Alan Griffin said that

―A Rudd Labor Government is already committed to making sure that our most severely disabled war veterans have

their pensions adjusted to take account not just of the cost of living but also the standard of living

The new indexation arrangements to DVA disability pensions had gone some way to ensuring that the veteranslsquo benefits did not

suffer further erosion Your governmentlsquos failure to adjust the rate of the TPI pension in line with the adjustments made to other

government pensions as per the 2009 Budget has meant that the relativity between veteranslsquo disability pensions and the other

pensions has diminished It follows that there has to be an erosion of the standard of living for veterans and their families

The ex-service community was very supportive of Alan Griffin and your party leading up to the last election because it seemed

that for the first time in more than a decade some one was listening to the issues and seemed genuinely moved to address the

longstanding wrongs

The view of the TPI Federation is that we have been badly let down by your government In a time when extraordinary sums of

money are being spent by the Government to dull the impact of the recession it seems that the group given the least

consideration is that which has given the most in the service of their country We request that military disability pensions be

increased by the same percentage as the other government pensions - that is 114

Your early attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated Should you need any further information please do not hesitate

to contact me

Yours sincerely

John (Blue) Ryan OAM

National President

REGULATION 24 TO THE PHAMACUTICAL BENEFITS SCHEME (PBS)

I am going to make an uneducated guess and state that there are probably not too many of our members aware of the

provisions of the PBS in particular Regulation 24 or Reg 24 or R 24 as it is commonly known Get ready to be informed

Regulation 24 of the PBS allows a doctor writing a script to authorize

a pharmacist to dispense that script up to six times straightaway The

doctor is allowed to do this if he is convinced that you are going away

and it is reasonably expected that you will not be in an area where

you may purchase your medication or are proceeding overseas He is

allowed to do this without reference to any regulating body

12

The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) run their own

PBS and is known as RPBS

The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) run their own PBS

and is known as RPBS

Something else that is even less advertised is that RPBS can be

expanded to up to 12 months This however needs an

authorization number from DVA It simply requires the doctor

to ring them on (I will even give you the number) 1800 552 580

(Australia wide) detail the medication tell them the script number and they will then give the authorizing number

So to all you blokes that go doctor shopping and trying to gather scripts to cover an away period your problem is

solved

However if you are proceeding overseas and are carrying a significant amount of prescribed medication there is a

government requirement that airport security personnel who notice large amounts of medication in baggage should

enquire of the passenger the reason for such amounts So it is in your interest to obtain a letter from the doctor who

wrote the script detailing the medication and the amounts This should then satisfy any enquiries

There is also a regulation that states that medication being taken out of the country should have its original packaging

intact However if you are like me and carry significant amounts of medications space becomes a problem I take no

notice of the packaging intactlsquo requirement and I can reduce in some cases 12 boxes into four which is a great saver

when it is accompanying you I am prepared to go to bat if I am fronted over the matter That is my personal choice

In closing this advice I will ask the question why would anyone entitled to Australian medicines and are getting

them under the PBS provisions choose to purchase them overseas where quality sometimes is in question and pricing

astronomical when you can bring them from Australia Ed

And another not widely known thing

Those members who are TampPI (Gold Card) are entitled to pharmaceutical supplies that are not on the PBS such as

sunscreen lotions bandages medicated shampoolsquos arthritis aids etc (a list can be provided by a chemist) can be

obtained on prescription by your doctor if they ring the previously listed phone number for a RPBS authority number

One thing to watch out for though that the price of the article you are getting is not cheaper than the co-payment of

$500+ you have to pay for each script

Hub Hubbard

We advised members of the death of Hub Hubbard in Thailand a couple of newsletter ago Rhett Webber advises that

Hublsquos ashes will be buried at Clark Cemetery on 19 June 2009 at 1000 hours I think by now most people who knew

Hub would have been advised by the email system

Stop Press Coming events

Sunday July 19th Family day at Angeles Sports amp Country Club Starts 0830 am

Ladies take note LR Products will be doing Hand Spa amp facials P150peso (P300 for both ) with P100 (on either or

P200 on both ) back to our charity funds as well as all profit from any sales to our Charity fund so bring along your

sisters etc A swimming pool attendant will be there to supervise children in the swimming pool

Boys may play golf or lawn bowls

13 FOR THOSE MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN TO AUSTRALIA THE DIAGRAM BELOW GIVES A GOOD IDEA

ON JUST HOW LARGE IT IS AND WITH A POPULATION OF JUST OVER 21 MILLION PEOPLE YOU CAN FIT

EUROPE INTO IT MORE THAN TWICE

AUSTRALIAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES DURING WW2

It is a well known fact that during WW2 Australian Servicemen served in just about every theatre of operations

They were in the UK Europe the Middle East and the Pacific What is not so well known is their involvement with

the liberation of the Philippines

When Gen Douglas MacArthur was ordered out of the Philippines and to Australia he was appointed as Supreme

Commander of the Western Pacific Area Australian Gen Sir Thomas Blamey (later Field Marshall) and his forces

were placed under operational control of MacArthur

Australian soldiers inflicted the first losses to the Japanese whose advance onto Australia was stopped in New Guinea

It was the defining action as it started the rearward push of the Japanese back towards Japan

MacArthur assured Blamey that Australian troops would be involved in the push north and with his liberation of the

Philippines However Blamey was duped and MacArthur made no arrangements for the Australian forces to

accompany his troops and the US troops took off without them

Australian troops were set the task of removing the Japanese from New Guinea Papua Borneo Malaya and Brunei

where large battles occurred Regaining this region was not an easy task

14

But as can be seen in articles we have done in a previous newsletter the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ships

played a significant role in the battles of the Coral Sea and the actions off Leyte and the Lingayan Gulf areas

For instance HMAS Australia was the first ship to be attacked by a new Japanese weapon called the Divine Windlsquo

commonly known as the Kamikaze attacks Over four days the Australia was repeatedly attacked by kamikazelsquos and

had to eventually withdraw south for

repairs This was a great loss to the

commanders of that campaign

The picture left is another insight into

Australian involvement in the liberation

of the Philippines Itlsquos of a unit of the

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) No 3

RAAF Airfield Construction Squadron

disembarking from a Landing Ship Tank

(LST) off Mindoro Island The official

text accompanying the picture is as

follows

OFF MINDORO ISLAND PHILIPPINES

15121944 THESE AUSTRALIANS OF NO 3 AIRFIELD CONSTRUCTION SQUADRON RAAF WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO LAND ON MINDORO ISLAND LEADING AIRCRAFTMAN H QUICK OF EXETER SA IS IN THE FRONT RAAF ENGINEERS WERE UNLOADING THEIR LSTS (LANDING SHIPS TANK) WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF HITTING THE MINDORO ISLAND BEACH-HEAD I hope I have given our readers a small

insight into the Australian involvement The text is mine and I take responsibility for any slight inaccuracies For

more info on this unit go to wwwflyingshovelshomesteadcom3ACShtlm Ed

The Bar

Last month the lsquoBarflyrsquo was tooooo worn out after tooooo muuucchh beeer and tooooo many

bars that he visited that he couldnrsquot put together a report So here is a bit of an effort for this

month

CANDY BAR was the first of three new bars to open in the new Bada-Bing Complex near

Zapatas Mexican Restaurant The bar is owned by Troy (Treasure Island) and operated by

Troys wife

Bare Assets is the smallest of the three new bars in the Bada-Bing Complex Operated by Peter Taylor

Im sure it will have a distinctly Aussie flavor Peter has been managing bars in the entertainment for many years

15

Harros new club in the complex between Zapatas Mexican Restaurant and the Phoenix Hotel was

the last of the three new clubs to open It is the biggest of the three and hands down the most comfortable from a bar hoppers point of view It is bound to do well with Harro at the helm

Watch this Space A new club will open soon where Cheers Bar was located on Perimeter Road It

hasnrsquot been named yet I will keep an ear to the ground

The La Pasha group has taken over Bourbon Street and is converting it into a bar If it is half as

good as Fantasy this will be a good addition to the EIGHT new bars opening in this area in the next few months

Major construction at the Fields Plaza Nightlife Complex is nearing an end The individual owners

have now brought in their own crews to finish the interiors It looks like we will see the first of these new clubs opening in late June or early July I look forward to a drink and a look in them all

Well thatrsquos it for this effort I am still suffering from my barhop investigations But

get a laugh out of the cartoon below on how they do things in Australia

Subject Worlds shortest fairy tale

Once upon a time a guy asked a girl Will you marry me

The girl said No And the guy lived happily ever after and rode

motorcycles and went fishing and hunting and played golf a lot

and drank beer and scotch and left the toilet seat up and farted

whenever he wanted

THE END

This is how they get the bull

bucking in Australian rodeolsquos



Pres Jim and other RSL member volunteers

at the last Medical Mission at Cutud

16

Above is a map of how to get to the Medical Mission at Abacan Malabanias on the 20th June Simply itrsquos on the way from Friendship area via Hensonville to the Pampang market across the new bridge The location is on the left as you approach the bridge Also come along the road from Robinsons Shopping Center on the MacArthur Hwy

ldquoThe price of liberty is eternal vigilancerdquo

Just look at the arrow and that is where the

RSL medical mission will be rarrrarrrarrrarrrarr

at the Abacan covered court

larrlarrRobinsons are located right here

And these kids are what the Medical

Missions are all about What a happy bunch

Without these volunteers we would not be

able to administer the kids that we look after

2

Veterans Day with Reg Tulip an authorized trainer again attending under a grant that Dallas applied for and submitted Apart from help from others supplying the little information that Dallas did not have he has prepared all these applications single handed which is a major task when you have a look at the forms and information sought in each case by the persons responsible for making the grants Apart from the grants the job of Secretary comprises so much in administration particularly when we have a Sub Branch comprising of over 300 members Thank you Dallas on behalf of us all for your continuing work

On Tuesday June 23 the Sub Branch will be hosting a visit from Mr Frank Lodge Senior Migration Officer and his deputy Mr Christian Jones of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship attached to the Australian Embassy at Manila They will be delivering a discussion on Partner Visas and other visas and there will be plenty of opportunity for questions Any persons interested are invited to attend The afternoon will commence at 100pm and be held at the Ponderosa Hotel Our Saturday evening raffles at Shanorsquos are continuing and maintaining an average return to our Charity Account of in excess of P600000 If any body knows who ldquoborrowedrdquo our banner from Shanorsquos a couple of weeks ago could you please arrange for its return or let me know where I can collect it Thanks to all who provide the prizes each week and to those members who attend to help sell the

tickets and be there to enjoy a couple of hours of ldquoconvivialityrdquo More next month JAMES E CURTIS-SMITH President

New Members STILL new members are coming along and joining our Sub branch We welcome the

following new members Thomas Seiderwand Kenneth Graham Geoffrey Knighton

Robert Graham Preben Olsen Denis Moir John Christie Russell Goode Eric

Grunnet Aiza Otic Stephen Smith Wayne Hogg Russell Pitt Rudolf Olree

Timothy Wright Welcome back to Jeff Duncan

LIFE SUBSCRIPTION MEMBERSHIP NOW AVAILABLE ---

Any member may now become a LIFE SUBSCRIBER of RSL AUSTRALIA A Special Life Subscriber membership ID is given The Angeles City RSL Sub Branch has set Rates in both Australian Dollars and Philippine Peso JUST DO IT now and never worry about Annual Dues Notices again Contact Dallas for further details on rate applicable to your age as of last Birthday

Here is the banner for the next Medical

Mission at Abacud Malabanias 20 June

Banner for the next Medical Mission at

Abacan Malabanias on 20 June 2009

3




of your RSL card



with your RSL ID









families










4














Phuoc Tuy Province




























5







(VC) Ed

Army Number 61712



Surname FYFE

Honour or Award DCM





























6





































reported



7















wanted




























8


















9












defence corps





















prevention


their own bodies










10







Patron-in-Chief



1 June 2009

The Hon Kevin Rudd

Prime Minister

Parliament House

Canberra

ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister











government pensions
































longstanding wrongs






to contact me

Yours sincerely


National President










12











solved


















Hub Hubbard



























14
















follows





The Bar



month



Troys wife



15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16











3




of your RSL card



with your RSL ID









families










4














Phuoc Tuy Province




























5







(VC) Ed

Army Number 61712



Surname FYFE

Honour or Award DCM





























6





































reported



7















wanted




























8


















9












defence corps





















prevention


their own bodies










10







Patron-in-Chief



1 June 2009

The Hon Kevin Rudd

Prime Minister

Parliament House

Canberra

ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister











government pensions
































longstanding wrongs






to contact me

Yours sincerely


National President










12











solved


















Hub Hubbard



























14
















follows





The Bar



month



Troys wife



15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16











4














Phuoc Tuy Province




























5







(VC) Ed

Army Number 61712



Surname FYFE

Honour or Award DCM





























6





































reported



7















wanted




























8


















9












defence corps





















prevention


their own bodies










10







Patron-in-Chief



1 June 2009

The Hon Kevin Rudd

Prime Minister

Parliament House

Canberra

ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister











government pensions
































longstanding wrongs






to contact me

Yours sincerely


National President










12











solved


















Hub Hubbard



























14
















follows





The Bar



month



Troys wife



15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16











5







(VC) Ed

Army Number 61712



Surname FYFE

Honour or Award DCM





























6





































reported



7















wanted




























8


















9












defence corps





















prevention


their own bodies










10







Patron-in-Chief



1 June 2009

The Hon Kevin Rudd

Prime Minister

Parliament House

Canberra

ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister











government pensions
































longstanding wrongs






to contact me

Yours sincerely


National President










12











solved


















Hub Hubbard



























14
















follows





The Bar



month



Troys wife



15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16











6





































reported



7















wanted




























8


















9












defence corps





















prevention


their own bodies










10







Patron-in-Chief



1 June 2009

The Hon Kevin Rudd

Prime Minister

Parliament House

Canberra

ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister











government pensions
































longstanding wrongs






to contact me

Yours sincerely


National President










12











solved


















Hub Hubbard



























14
















follows





The Bar



month



Troys wife



15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16











7















wanted




























8


















9












defence corps





















prevention


their own bodies










10







Patron-in-Chief



1 June 2009

The Hon Kevin Rudd

Prime Minister

Parliament House

Canberra

ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister











government pensions
































longstanding wrongs






to contact me

Yours sincerely


National President










12











solved


















Hub Hubbard



























14
















follows





The Bar



month



Troys wife



15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16











8


















9












defence corps





















prevention


their own bodies










10







Patron-in-Chief



1 June 2009

The Hon Kevin Rudd

Prime Minister

Parliament House

Canberra

ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister











government pensions
































longstanding wrongs






to contact me

Yours sincerely


National President










12











solved


















Hub Hubbard



























14
















follows





The Bar



month



Troys wife



15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16











9












defence corps





















prevention


their own bodies










10







Patron-in-Chief



1 June 2009

The Hon Kevin Rudd

Prime Minister

Parliament House

Canberra

ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister











government pensions
































longstanding wrongs






to contact me

Yours sincerely


National President










12











solved


















Hub Hubbard



























14
















follows





The Bar



month



Troys wife



15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16











10







Patron-in-Chief



1 June 2009

The Hon Kevin Rudd

Prime Minister

Parliament House

Canberra

ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister











government pensions
































longstanding wrongs






to contact me

Yours sincerely


National President










12











solved


















Hub Hubbard



























14
















follows





The Bar



month



Troys wife



15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16





























longstanding wrongs






to contact me

Yours sincerely


National President










12











solved


















Hub Hubbard



























14
















follows





The Bar



month



Troys wife



15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16











12











solved


















Hub Hubbard



























14
















follows





The Bar



month



Troys wife



15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16




























14
















follows





The Bar



month



Troys wife



15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16











15
















whenever he wanted

THE END







16











16











june issue of the rsl monthly newsletter

Documents