“RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE 98”

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
4th, 5th & 6th  APRIL 1998 

THIRTY YEARS ON – THE CELEBRATION 

VENUE: Hunt’s Motel & Function Centre, Liverpool NSW, Australia (Never to be the same again)

Attendees were greeted, in the Registration area, by a display of some 300 hundred photographs, most having been taken at 1st Australian Field Hospital in Vung Tau, SVN. This display was put together by Dr. Denis Gibbons, War Correspondent.

Each person who attended the reunion had their “Mug Shot” taken - Members, wives, husbands, partners and kids - the “Mug Shot” process included everyone, the result being a photographic record of those who attended the “Return of the Vampire” Reunion 98 . Other displays in the  registration area were:- Unit Roll (list of all who served with the unit in SVN by date), National and locality maps indicating our membership by postcode (getting to know who lives in your neighbour hood), and a map of Phouc Tuy Provence, SVN, detailing the Fire Support Bases in the region. Over the weekend articles of attendees personal memorabilia began to appear, photos, money, books, old newsletters (SVN), plaques etc, which added to the atmosphere of the weekend.  

SATURDAY, April 4th
The Open Forum was well attended by members and their partners and it was an opportunity to for all to hear first hand about the growth, and future development, of the Association. Discussed was the second stage of our membership drive, geared towards post-Vietnam personnel who have served with the Unit, whether it be in Australia, with the United Nations or other postings to various locations throughout the world. A huge task, but one well worth the effort if we want the Association and the “Legend of the Vampire” to live on through the years.Association Banners were presented to the Crow Eaters (for our overseas readers, a colloquial term to describe South Australian’s), and to the New South Welshmen. Our aim is to ensure that each state has its own banner to march behind on ANZAC Day.Saturday afternoon was taken up with a showing of slides and videos, which was a lot of fun and also very informative. Members took turns to show their slides, which had frozen the events of a time that we all once shared. These visions took us straight back there, but the images of much younger looking people soon made us realise that they were of another time, and place, nearly thirty years ago.   WO1 Alan Castle (Rtd) , ex RSM 1 Field Hospital, narrated a video presentation of the perils the medical teams contended with while providing medical-care with the UN Peacekeeping Force in war torn Rwanda. An amazing account of the butchery that can still occur in today’s world.