Well said, oh sung wu. I give up; at least I survived it
I'm keen to have a yarn with you but you seem reticent. I'll leave it to you.

Cheers,

Allan

We do seem to have chased each other about the place o sung. When were you in Kapooka?

The navy sent it's prospective fly boys off to the RAAF to learn the art of flying. Thus I was at Uranquinty in late 58 & 59.

Do you recall "the blood house"? I can't recall it's propper name, but it was a dance hall in Wagga famous for the brawls between the Forrest Hills RAAF apprentice school trainees, & the Kapooka recruits.

As there were only 7 navy types in the area we tended to be rather circumspect when in Wagga for a night, usually attending Romano's pub for a quiet drink.

As a regular conscription did not effect me, but now as then, when defence force folk are so poorly paid, it is one of the few ways of getting enough boots on the ground.

An even better system would probably be that anyone in the public service should have to serve 2 years in every 5 in the defence force. This would also be a good way of finding out how many bureaucrats are interested in serving their country, & which of them are only serving themselves.

Hell with all those Ba's wandering around Afghanistan, we'd have the most highly educated, if not the smartest army around.

Brilliant, hasbeen!

I've often thought that there should be a statute to the effect that those who advocate conscription, must first send their spouse, children and grandchildren "to the wall" without exception! That'd slow 'em down!

Unfortunately that would not happen Rattler, but a very good idea, but lets include also all those Government wackers who send you, but they make sure they are not on that list, it is always the same in any war situation, the plebs can be shot, as long as we the Government are not in the front line, being in Robert Menzies era it would have done him good to have been conscripted to the front line, but then he was too busy watching her pass by and remembering her (the Windsor lady) until I die.

G'day Allen...

Good man ! As you say, you survived it ! I would just say one other thing to you my friend. As much as you found your two years to be an indeterminable bore and a dehuminising experience, you DID it Allen, you did your duty, you turned up on the day specified, and you did your duty for two long years !

There are many, who did everything possible to avoid their obligations. Including objecting to the concept of National Service per se, most on moral grounds ? Even saying they're against the war in Vietnam. Or their Mum and Dad don't agree with them doing military service ?

A very well known TV star, rather then report on the alloted day, preferred to spend some time in 1 MCE, Holsworthy, until some 'intellectual boofhead', ordered his release. I wonder though, while he was prancing around on TV, perhaps blokes he could've served with, had he done his duty (like you did Allen), may well have died in the humid bloody jungles at...? Perhaps, Dat Do, the Long Hai's, none all that far from the Task Force, at Nui Dat.

Just one question if I may ?...Those people I've referred to herein; How exactly, can any one of them manage to FACE their wives, girlfriend, siblings, parents, friends, and neighbours - in fact anybody when asked ? Why didn't they do their National Service, and receive the Nasho's gong ?

What possible answer can they give, and retain even a modicum of self respect ? My little theory. All the excuses given by many of these blokes, were essentially untrue ? They were given purely to utterly conceal even obfuscate the REAL reason. And I reckon most people can deduce what that REAL reason was ?

Telephone ? No Allen, probably not, I'm sorry. I spent several stints in the Repat. with some issues, as well as attending their PTSD Programme. Thus, an early exit from the cops on invalidity grounds. You know what I mean ? Sorry ol' man ?

Gentleman, Gentleman, please...

How could anyone of you expose one of our beloved political leaders to such a draconian activity, as National Service ?

Which one of them, would consent to change a barrel on an M60 after a 'cook off' ? They'd probably want to either 'Ban it' or submit it under the 'Gun Buy Back' scheme ? No, you always send one of us from the masses to do such dirty work.

G'day HASBEEN...

Yes I do jump about a bit. July 1960 to be precise. A very very cold place to be, sunny Wagga Wagga mid winter. Sounds like you're a little older then I ? I had no idea the RAAF trained you blokes at Uranquinty ? I was aware they had a large training base at Forest Hill, but I didn't know they conducted Pilot Training there.

NO I don't know of the 'bloodhouse' ? Surprisingly, while there, we at Kapooka never had all that much strife with the RAAF. But as I was telling 'RATTLER' (Allen) I received a decent 'flogging' from a bloke, behind the first Picture Theatre, in Bayllis Street (sorry for the spelling error) while there. Ended up in cells for my trouble even though I was the 'floggee' ! Gotta say, I loved my time at 1 RTB !

Sorry, my eyes are tired, so please excuse me gentlemen. I'll bid you all good night.