A NEW support group has opened its doors to post-1975 veterans, peacekeepers and first responders to provide a helping hand in times of need.
The recently-established Post 75 Veterans Support Group aims to support servicemen and women and emergency service personnel aged between 17 and 45 with individual, social or family issues.
Group spokesperson Barry Ward said there was a service gap after the Vietnam War which was never filled.
“The Vietnam veterans have been through the mill and sorted themselves out,” Mr Ward said.
“A lot of the younger ones come out of an institutional environment where lots of things may have been done for them.
“They can be discharged into an environment which could be completely strange to them.”
Mr Ward said he saw a need for a support group in the Limestone Coast for contemporary veterans.
“I think there is a bigger problem out there than we might think,” he said.
“We want to be there to provide a space of assistance and offer guidance in environmental matters, mental health matters, family issues and even employment.
“If we can help them, then we will.”
Mr Ward said the group was not only open to veterans, but also to police, emergency services and ambulance officers.
“We are also open to past veterans outside the work we are focusing on and even any member of the community which needs some help,” he said.
“We think there are around 200 veterans out there in the South East community.
“We would like to see them come together in their own environment with experience alike and they can talk the same language.
“Serviceman have a strange sense of humour and sometimes they say things another service person thinks is funny.”
Mr Ward said the group had helped three people since its recent establishment.
“It is important to have a group like this in Mount Gambier,” he said.
“They are people who need help, but perhaps do not know how to get it or do not want to and need pushing.
“We are going to try and focus on physically taking people to get the help they need because sometimes they will not go it do it themselves.”
Mr Ward said a steering committee had been formed in conjunction with Mount Gambier RSL president Bob Sandow.
Mr Sandow said the club was in its infancy, but it would continue to become stronger and provide much needed assistance to defence personnel and emergency services.
“We want to recognise the issue before it becomes a problem,” he said.
“These people may have not necessarily experienced something on the battlefield and may have had issues from say a burning house for example.”
Mr Sandow said the group also aimed to incorporate younger veterans to the RSL.
“The youngest Vietnam veteran we would have would be 70 with the war ending around 50 years ago,” he said.
“In a decade, they will be 80 and who will look after the RSL.
“We need some younger ones and Barry is trying to help bring them in under the fold.”
Mr Sandow said he always told children people stood on the shoulders of the guys before us, but somebody had to stand up and keep the values and traditions of the RSL running.
“We have to find people before it is too late for us,” he said.
