I have only been home four days from my first Vampire reunion and I thought I had better check my emails.  On checking, I found one from Vampire dated 16/7/2000, so as I’m opening it I’m thinking what is it I have left behind......but no! no! no!  It’s from Denise (she who must be obeyed) asking if I could please write an article about my experiences at Vampire 2000? 

It doesn't have to be long, a few hundred words would be fine and it can be about the reunion in general, my feelings about catching up with those I had served with and/or one thing in particular that stuck in my mind about the weekend and I can dob if I wish.  Naturally I replied straight away saying I would try and do it by the completion of the weekend.

Not only was this my first Vampire reunion, it was really my first reunion as I did not attend the Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Parade in Sydney.  Although I served 30 years combined ARA and ARes I have not been one to attend ANZAC Day Parades etc until a few years ago.  Anyway a couple of years ago Rod and Jennie Searle (who we have been sending Xmas cards to for nearly 30 years) said “the next 1 Aust Fd Hosp reunion is being held in Queensland in 2000 so why don’t you come?”  So Rhonda (my wife of 30 years) and I jumped at the chance of catching up with them and others we had not see for a number of years.  After being posted to the West in 1977 I did not venture east on service reasons again, anyway the decision had been made that we would attend and that was that.

We registered with only about two months to go before the reunion was on, and then the thoughts started playing up - Do I really want to go?  Will it bring back too many “ghosts”? and of course Rhonda is asking me was I looking forward to this?  Anyway we caught the plane on the morning of the 7th June and we headed off. The reunion was held at Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine? What a joke, just as we got out of Brisbane heading up to Maroochydore it began to rain and I don’t think it stopped much until we left on Tuesday, not that it matted because from the time we arrived until the time we left to go home we have never laughed so much, ate so much or drunk so much.The morning after we arrived Rod offered us the use of their car and suggested we also take the Bolton’s, another Western Australian couple for a drive.  This was my first “spook” because as we were driving up to Noosa and I was trying to establish who it was that served with 1 Aust Fd Hosp and what year I found out that Mrs Bolton nee Yvonne Werndley was a Theatre Sister whilst I was there and who I had medevaced home later during my tour. 

Friday night was the Welcome Drinks I suppose was the biggest emotional time for me. I walked into the bar and the first person I saw was George Russell who I had seen not all that long ago, when he was serving as the RSM for 7 Fd Amb over here in the West, but standing next to him was someone I knew but I could not get his name out, Harry Butterworth, “G’day Mick  you don’t remember me?” “I do, I do!”  But I could not get the name. Greg Cant who picked a few of us up when we arrived back in Sydney and poured us on to our planes the following day to get back to our home States.  Barry Prior who I was standing in the queue at the Bar and said “G’day Mick” and I had to look at his name badge to see who was talking to me. Anyway it was like that most of the time we were there, some faces I knew and could not put a name to, others I knew their names but could put a face to and others I could not remember at all.  To all of those I could not remember I’m sorry but it must be one of those things I had blanked out of my mind after I came home.  However the biggest thrill I got was renewing my acquaintance with Grant (Bullet) Howlett. Grant and I worked together in the A & D Office from the time he arrived mid to late 1969 until I left in March 1970 and we had not seen each other since then.  The Welcome Drinks followed by the Meet, Greet and Eat and it was here too that I met more I had not seen from my Vietnam and Singapore days and it was great meeting up again after all of this years.

By the way congratulations to Bob and Denise who became grandparents the day we left and also congratulations to the Committee who organised this reunion as it went smoothly from the time we arrived until the time left and this must have been a difficult feat bearing in mind the Executive are in Victoria and the function was in Queensland. I am sorry a few could not make it because of health reasons etc as I would liked to have caught up with them too but hopefully we can catch up in Adelaide as we shall not be missing it for anything.  So all of you who did not make it to Twin Waters save you pennies for Adelaide in 2002 and we will see you there. 

Ed: Thanks Mick! When I said you can dob on someone I didn’t mean me ….. great article though. Might have to call on you again sometime to share your experiences whilst serving with 1AFH ….