Ep 30: War Veterans Stories

"This Story" is a wonderful project that is recording interviews with war veterans. These stories are directly from the veterans and is a piece of history that we don't ever want to lose. Ryno talks to the creator Jeff about making it and we include a few snippets from the series.
Have a look at This Story here:

Facebook: facebook.com/ThisStory.au

Instagram: instagram.com/thisstory.com.au/

Twitter: @ThisStory_AUS

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/19034925/admin/

Website: thisstory.com.au

Transcript

No Humble Opinions

Ryan Elson & Jeff Hughes

Ep 30: Remembrance Day Special

0 (1s):

Hi, are you there? Ryno hear from the Podcast No Humble Opinions when we talk to interesting people about interesting things today, I'm speaking to a mate of mine. Jeff in regards to a project he is doing called the Story. We talked to more about it that shortly on a radio. Hey Jeff how are you, brother?

1 (18s):

I'm great, mate. Thanks Ron. And thanks for having me, John.

0 (20s):

It's a pleasure, sir. Now all those people are like they're just to let you know if we sounded a little bit we'd at the moment and a little bit scratchy, not quite as cool as usual. It's just tasty team. Isn't here. A taste is off or having adventures somewhere. God is loving. So for this one and about the next three podcasts, I'm going to be flying solo with my little new system. I've got here doing my own thing. So when we get them cleaned up later on, but in the meantime, we're just going to throw out there raw and run with it from there. So No thanks a lot to everyone for it. Give me a bit of a chance to have a crack on my own, but let's go ahead and do what we do. Jeff though. I love what you're doing. Tell us, please what the story is all about.

1 (1m 0s):

Thanks. Ryno yeah, I will. A couple of years ago, we had this grand idea that people are important. You know, people's stories that are important and let's fast forward two a the older generation who are humbly on their way out and often take their stories with them as they go. So what we decided to do a is focused on veterans a couple of years ago, we started recording and preserving the stories of world war II veterans. We've had a great opportunity to travel around Southeast Queensland and, and talking to vets. Ah, and it's, it's quite humbling and it's very reticent of people sharing and connecting on, on a different level.

0 (1m 49s):

Yeah, man, when we first spoke about it at its inception, pretty much it wasn't it a couple of years ago, you can do it. So been nearly two. Yeah. When you say that you're going to speak to a war veterans and get their stories. I just thought that was the coolest thing. And because as you say it, like people don't lie and then their stories I've gone with them and, and there's just so much history and so much character in these people that you've been speaking to. They're not a single, it's the most brilliant thing to, to have it available for future generations to hear from, so my world well done on doing what, what, you know, what was it? Are you covering or who, or what sort of guys you got on?

1 (2m 24s):

Well, naturally a world war II vets. They're all between 94, 95 and over a hundred now. So, but we get it out of the farm. There were, there are very hard to find them at the beginning of the project. Yeah. We were basically knocking on doors and asking for people's relatives and to put people forward who might be interested in telling stories, telling their story, but we focus or a, I guess you could say our primary focus is world war II because they are the oldest and ailing generation on their way out, but just in the last, probably six months and, and due to a lot of restrictions due to a pandemic, et cetera, we've expanded our focus to incorporate all veterans.

1 (3m 7s):

So to date we've, we've got people lined up when we've talked to Vietnam vets, we've talked to veterans of the Malayan emergency Korean war, vets, world war II. So 2021, it looks like, hopefully we'll get a few young veterans on, on board as well. That would like to share it. It's all about coming together and finding the commonalities in each other. Story

0 (3m 29s):

You don't have a, how do they react when you ask him to, to sell, tell a story? Like, how are they, are they pleased to tell it? Or they sort of stand off is to start with and get into it? Or what are they ready to go? What's your thoughts?

1 (3m 40s):

I think there is a misconception out there with a lot of veterans that they, the community can tend to think, Oh, a cranky old war veteran keeps to himself and, and, you know, doesn't want to talk about much, but, but they do want to share a lot of them have something to say, have something important to say, not just a, about the conflict that I've experienced, but it's a part of Australians who is Australia's history. So to have that recorded and to go down in the, the annals of history of each state of Queensland, of a, all the other States, you know, it's, it's really, really important. And they do open up. I think it's important to, to make veterans comfortable. We do not go in with a prescribed, a lot of 10 questions or 15 questions for them to answer.

1 (4m 27s):

Basically we, we meet them, we sit down and we have a cup of coffee or a cup of tea. In spend at least two hours with them and just have a chat. You know, where were they born? What was it like growing up as a kid? In usually the 1920s and then the 1930s and the depression. And that

0 (4m 45s):

Can be interesting. And then you've got a war on top of that.

1 (4m 47s):

Yeah, exactly. And what is really interesting is that a lot of them went off to war. A lot of them put their age up so they could go to war and they would spend two or three years, a world war II. And when they had finished that they were still 19 and 20 coming out of a war. They've experienced something so monumental and they've still got the rest of the lives to, to live. So there is 70 years, 75 to 80 years, you know, a lot of them have lived past the war and, you know, that's the strains history right there that they can come from.

0 (5m 21s):

Yeah. I mean, it's the written word is all well and good. Isn't it that hearing someone speak from experience and from their heart is, and I think totally on that note, ah, look, can you, we're going to sprinkle some bits and pieces from some excerpts from your recordings in These who have you got for us?

1 (5m 37s):

Yeah, actually it will. This is Faye Clark. First up phase 102. We sat down with her and may this year she's from Kalandra. She is not doing too well at this, at this moment, but as a, a 102 was a very sprightly, lively walked two kilometers every day, religiously and yeah, just we'll listen to a little bit of effort from her. Story cool.

2 (6m 1s):

Most vivid memories climbing up the side of a troop ship in Sydney. Have we'd be on the train all night. We were tired. We hit a respirator, a steel helmet and a water bottle. And we climbed up on the rope leather only ed side of the queen, Mary, with thousands of troops shouting, you'll be sorry. You'll be sorry. I got to the stage before I go to where a, well, the way I think I'm almost wrong, you're almost right.

2 (6m 45s):

It was petrifying people pulling all different ways.

0 (6m 51s):

No, thanks to that. Jeff thanks. Fight a lot more importantly. So that might not. So what is it, how does it affect you when you hear something like that? When you hear someone speak to you are sitting in the room with them. Cause one, look, all the love of doing These these recordings. I loved doing the podcast because you sorta get a real sense of the person that's opposite you. And you get too to hear something directly from them that, which is important to them and I'll just dig it. It just makes me happy to do with them. So what are some of the biggest things you personally got out of these, these experiences?

1 (7m 18s):

One of the biggest impacts that interviewing these veterans has really had on my life. They have a, a real ability to give you a perspective on life. You know, these are, these are, are, are, are relatives that have gone before us. And they have really strong opinions and comments. And you know, they're, they're not as harsh and Oh, look, they're not cranky old vets, like a, a lot of people who put a tag on them, you know, they're, they're really loving people. They've got a real desire for community and helping out society where they've been. And, you know, we've got veterans that have dedicated them, lose their lives to a building botanical gardens and being involved in rotary all of their life and 'cause they want to give back.

1 (8m 7s):

So I think that spirit is really essential. And I think that it, you know, it really can be hammered home with, with their words.

0 (8m 14s):

Do you think that it is an experienced all of that early in your life and what that would have to give you a different outlook on life? Or I just can't imagine that it wouldn't now some people, obviously it can go one of two ways, I guess you can either think that the world's terrible and you know, that there is no goodness from what you've seen and what you've experienced, or you can come out of there thinking you'd ever want to make the same mistake again, everything. And you want to live every moment, I suppose, if you ever experienced anything of that with these guys, or

1 (8m 39s):

Yeah, we ask, we ask the veterans, you know, did they have any words of wisdom or a, is there a legacy that they'd like to impart on? You know, the community to the public, they're a fan for their families. And a lot of them, a lot of them are quite a resolute that, you know, there will future conflicts and they have complete faith in the youth of Australia to stand up and, and do it proud. Now I know that we probably lost that tradition a little bit. You know, we don't have, you know, four generations of families that have been representing Australia and the services anymore. Well, we do, but they're, they're quite rare, but there's a lot of faith. There's a lot of faith in community and yes, we do have bumps along the way, but you know, for the most part, all of them believe that Australia is the lucky country and they've got a lot to say,

0 (9m 30s):

Yeah, I mean, I've sat on a number of recordings previously that, you know, older people in our society or wasted, we just don't appreciate the wisdom. We don't appreciate the experience. And therefore we continue to make the same stupid mistakes often because I don't think we listen enough. So for me, listening to some of these people that have been through the experiences is just going to be amazing. So look, one of the things I would, as we've discussed, and I haven't quite figured out how to do it yet, but I'd very much like you to have a channel where we can put those up, having a number of them easily available to the public. Where are the, where are those recordings currently? What's your, when are you storing them?

1 (10m 7s):

Well, first up some of these snippets that you'll hear today, they're available on our website. So www This story.com.edu, we've got about 21 or 22 little short bio profile videos up there, just to introduce you to the veteran, the Queensland veterans go to the Queensland state library, they're archived and exhibited there in their collection. And some of the, I guess the projections for 2021, we got that same relationship with other state libraries. So in December we'll be heading up to Darwin and those interviews from the veteran's up there will be getting to the Northern territory state library.

1 (10m 52s):

And it makes it accessible to everyone at no cost. And it's quite a, a great way to get it out there too. The kids

0 (10m 59s):

Community. Yeah. Cool. And what is the space I'm hoping to get this on a one. I'm not sure it was, we haven't done anything about it yet. It's just one of those Ryno things I don't want to do, but I just would love to have everyone hear the stories. And anytime I like to be able to, you know, don't waste this opportunity as far as I would say. And so it might look at who's next for his brother, who do you look at coming up and what are they, what conflict lean.

1 (11m 20s):

This is Ron Haysom and that Ron lived at Sunnybank and his son, Rob, ah, and I kind of a bit of struck up a bit of a fan of friendship after we interviewed Ron. Ron unfortunately passed away in June this year, but he's got some poignant words that reflect on not only his life, but you know, some of his thoughts in Australia, cool. He is wrong

3 (11m 42s):

At the Wolf was the greatest memory of my life. After the war, there was a trying to think about lying on the, of the chapters, hit it with a bomb on, it was full of mines out of the ship, blue, the ship, the visa, it was 22 Warfield out of the warfare at balm turned the ship. And the reason that Purina and a pill, every everyone on the day. I remember that so well,

0 (12m 14s):

Man, that's, that's very cool to, to listen to a gentle at that and look at it has passed now and we'll do a, is one of the things about it. But now he's, he's in the history. He is stuck in time there for anyone at anytime to ever listened to it. I mean, that's just a fantastic thing that is occurring. And I, how are the, have you spoken to a lot of the other areas? Like, I mean, you know, the Vietnam veterans are still around a fair bit doing nothing. I don't know a lot about them never been involved in the military particularly. So I don't know how it all works, but are they, are these guys coming forward to speaking to you, they're volunteering their information and volunteering their, their stories for you or not?

1 (12m 51s):

Yeah, absolutely. We spoke to a Vietnam vet up in Mount Kilcoy, but a month ago. And what surprising, and, and it shouldn't be surprising because we've been doing this for a little while now, but Vietnam veterans are often in their late seventies or eighties. He was 80 that we are. And, and that kind of took me back like, Whoa, I don't see it like that. I used to watch television series growing up as a teenager, but at the Vietnam war, it just seemed like it was a conflict that was much closer to a, to my age,

0 (13m 24s):

Hopefully at the same thing, you know, I mean, I'm getting on, don't worry, but it's a bit of gray in it, in the room at the moment. But yeah, it blows me away too, because these guys are, and in the mid seventies and further on in the sun and like when I was growing up the, the program's, you know, they are probably the same ones as the other sort of watching it is You and it was just a young and now have gone at it hard and don't want to seem to near the, they look like an older generation, which I guess they are. And, but it's a man. Is it still, I don't want to take you to enter the name of the sower brother, but like, is it still very light in their mind? It's still right there in mine to life for them, or

1 (14m 2s):

I think so if we were talking about Vietnam vets at the moment, then I think that there's there there's been a shift from what I understand since the nineties, when it comes to the Vietnam vets and they were asked to, to March, et cetera, in Anzac day marches, et cetera. And I'm not a historian when it comes to when it comes to that being Canadian and, and coming to Australia in 1996, you know, a lot of that early history, ah, and the relationship between the public and, and our service people. It wasn't really imprinted on me as a, as a youngster. So I'm learning, I'm learning about that, but you know, there's a lot of things that you think are a little bit surprising.

1 (14m 47s):

Like the, the, the troops that came back from Vietnam on planes landed at midnight or after midnight. So there wasn't a press conference. There was no, there was no coverage of that.

0 (14m 59s):

It does say No, hero's welcome for them. Exactly. They call it that part. And it's a disgrace that, that occurred.

1 (15m 4s):

Absolutely. And, you know, we can, this is the thing we can only learn from past mistakes. We have to be open to learning humans, learn through experience. It's one of the, the largest factors in, in us actually improving ourselves. So we have to be open to, to learn through our past experience and make these corrections. So we don't do the same thing over again.

0 (15m 25s):

Yeah. A hundred percent. I mean, I, I struggle from what I've read and I'm not a historian either, but I do find it of interest, but to have the world war II where we are one people come back and be, you know, ticker-tape parades and welcome home and looked after and then have the Vietnam war guys come back and be spat on and abused and tear it on. They didn't want to go and look at it. Was it a politician's make those decisions and bureaucrats make those decisions? Not the, not the Digger, not the guy on the ground. Here he goes. And, and you know, it was that the numbers were pulled out of a note about, of a bag or whatever it was. And then if there date of birth come up, they went. Yeah. And to be, I remember on a terrible experience, it, it really shook me.

0 (16m 8s):

Ah, what was it about No 2003, 2004. I was in real estate then. And I got a call for a gent that he wanted me to sell his house. So he had a rock band like you do. And it rocked into this beautiful four-bedroom house that didn't have one sticker furniture in it, nothing ends up These gent was living in a caravan in the back of the place because he couldn't deal with the feeling of it being so open. He, he had to have, it had to be enclosed. It was he'd lost his wife, his kids, it all left. He was in a bad way. Mentally. I doubt he'd be with us now to be honest. But I sat down with him one day during an open home time.

0 (16m 50s):

And I stayed for an extra half an hour. And he was one of the guys that was always at the front of the patrols. And so he was a Digger on the ground, like with, with a gun in hand, he wasn't sitting there pushing it a pen anywhere. And he was one of the guys who had to go through the tunnels with a pistol now searching for guys in amongst all the, the undergrowth and all of the systems that are going there. And that's just fucked him. Like he, he just couldn't cope. And he was sitting here with tears and his eyes, and I just can't do it. I've tried so hard to be what everyone else is in society. And I just, I, I wake every night. I, I can't cope if I sleep anywhere outside of a very small space. I just, I freak out.

0 (17m 31s):

I think, I always think someone's coming to get me always in combat to be done they're and that poor man has basically lost his life, even though he's still breathing. And I just wonder, and as I say, I'm not part of the military. I was a copper, not a, you know, not in the way the services, but Oh my God, for that man to come back and then be hired on top of that, that just, it brings tears to my eyes. It's just the most horrible thing. So once again, I hope that we can get those stories out there and have these people respected for what they did on our, on the recommendation, on what, one of our orders as a country, and to have that, you know, Have that shown to be the bravery and the, you know, the, the guts and the termination that they had.

0 (18m 16s):

And I hope that I would just love the fact that you're doing it, man, to, to put it out there.

1 (18m 20s):

Everyone's got a story to tell, and I think we need to recognize that or go back and we'll just play a little bit more of a Ron Haysom's interview and see what you think of that. Because a it's quite poignant. And, and particularly with 2020 being such a, a mixed up year when it comes to COVID in a pandemic, I think Ron's thoughts quite a bit. Echo is still echo well, in relation to that, thanks, man.

3 (18m 49s):

Living on the line is not much fun. Restaurants. I don't have to be graduating in my life. I think the washing good to me, the army was good and the TBI has been fantastic and never wavered once we got. And when I went from adventure, Sally, to be fun and that the essential and that it wasn't that. Yeah.

0 (19m 13s):

So Ron talks about being isolated and feeling lonely without those people around him. I mean, do these guys, Have still the older guys, Have the sense of comradery or that just losing all their friends left front and center, and that's just leaving them out in the cold.

1 (19m 25s):

A lot of them have outlived their spouses. They've lived their mates sitting down with them. They'll talk, talk to you about who was in the squadron or who was on their division and many times more often than not, you know, they'll say on the last one left or there's me and a, a, another mate, but he is he's deaf. So don't talk to them on the phone anymore. And like, and they they've got a sense of humor, but they, they know that there's, there's this impending feeling that, you know, they've, they've lived a good life that no one really has, has a complaint. It's something that is anywhere near a complaint to tell me when we're having a chat, but they seriously, I've had a lot of time to reflect on things.

1 (20m 7s):

And, and obviously the joys or the simple Joyce to them, it's when family coming to visit. And, you know, even as a kid visiting my grandparents, you know, you get dragged along and you think, Oh, we're going over there. It's going to be a boring Knight or whatever. But they, they are Boyd by that. They love it. 'cause they can actually see their prodigy and their, the indelible impact that they've had on Australia in front of them. And so they like to see that that resonates with them and they do enjoy it.

0 (20m 35s):

No, that's cool. Oh, look, I'll just step aside for a second. Cause I've gotta do the proper thing. We've got a sponsor today. Jeff so it's got a bit of a chat. Now, these guys have some of my favorite humans on a peninsula, and that is done at the cactus jacks at Radcliffe. Yay. I spent a fair few Sundays there watching the sushi train of people go passed that he is the rest of the markets, which I just thoroughly enjoy. And it's because a lot of people watch, some people would call it judging, but anyway, it's entirely up to you whichever way you want to go on that. But look at cactus jacks down on the waterfront. Ah, look, go check them out Sundays. Just for example, you've got for a dollar Coronas. You can sit there and have a few tacos and nachos at the front there and join yourself.

0 (21m 17s):

And at two o'clock, someone will come along and play you some live tunes, which is bloody rare lately from, you know, in, in this year and also in the area recently. And they'll play a few tunes and you can kick back and relax, look over what a magnificent area we live in a straight a cost to Morton Island. So go ahead and kick this. Jack's a one 61 reckless parade in Redcliffe, got to check them out and you never know it might be there and you can come and harass me or tell me how bad I am at doing Podcast. I know whichever one you like. So check them out again. It's Jeff. How many have you done of these so far, bro?

1 (21m 50s):

So far we've been able to interview 23 veterans and that's a, that's a far cry from the number that we're actually projecting to interview over the next year or two. We've got 35, 36 veterans actually on our books that are, are basically waiting for us to come to them. Now, naturally, you know, I'd be there in a heartbeat. I'll be there tomorrow. But unfortunately the financial possibility of doing that, w we do rely on public donations. We rely on grants and, and sponsorship from business to get out there and preserve these stories. As mentioned before being a not-for-profit organization, we do rely on public donations, corporate sponsorship, small business, and grant writing.

1 (22m 38s):

So the more successful we are at that, the more far and wide we can actually reach and preserve these stories. So it's quite a, quite a tug at the heartstrings. When you get an email from, from someone saying, Jeff, we haven't forgotten about dad. We haven't heard from in a month. And, and that the answer is No. We haven't forgotten about any of them logistic to get there. You want to get there as soon as possible. So we're, we're hoping we, we've got a real strong push into 20, 21 creating an advisory board for this story. And we're actually looking at a few events next year for fundraising ability capabilities, I should say.

1 (23m 19s):

And we're projecting hopefully to get to those 35, but also not stop their, we want to, we want to go wherever someone has got a Story. Yeah, man.

0 (23m 26s):

I think it's cool. Cause you hadn't had to download so that you are.

1 (23m 29s):

Yeah. So we're hitting up to Darwin in December 2nd week of December, we're interviewing one world war II veteran and three other veterans while we're up there of different conflicts. There's actually only three world war II vets in the Northern territory. One in Alice Springs and two in Darwin, their families tend to move away. And climate wise, a lot of them Have trebled South into Queensland and to the sum of the Southern States to live over the last few years of their lives. So they

0 (23m 60s):

Don't really hang around up there

1 (24m 2s):

And a lot of services that are more aptly, probably a choir down in the In, the more of the Southern States as well. But we're really looking forward to that. We were thinking that new South Wales would probably be our first border crossing to reach out to some veterans there. We've had veterans contact us from Lismore, from foster Queanbeyan. We were thinking it's close by. It's not a far trip, but a as, as the dyes have landed, we're actually hitting up to Darwin first. So

0 (24m 32s):

What's that mean? That was the only one it opened in a reasonable amount of time. We are in the middle of COVID-19 at the moment. He want to don't forget so that it might look just, can I ask you, you've spoken to a lot of these people that have lived, you know, extensive lives at this point in time still and also have encountered, I mean, war and conflict, or is there anything that stands out that they, they all sort of feel the same way about or has any sort of a pattern about how they, they feel about their experiences or anything of that nature?

1 (25m 0s):

I think, I wouldn't say there's one overriding theme, obviously speaking to so many of them, there are multiple teams that come up often. PTSD is one, that's obviously not a term that was used back in the forties, but they've learned about it. It's always been there. Yeah. Whether it was shell shock from world war one or whatever phrase was coined to describe that at the time. But a lot of veteran's talk about that. A lot of veterans have that buried deep inside and some don't want to open up about it. And that is completely fine, absolutely respectful. The interviews really only go where the veterans want to take them.

1 (25m 40s):

Some of them this, this little excerpt from RD Muchler from Caboolture, RT was a lovely fellow that we sat down with and talk to, he warmed up to probably talk about more than he thought he would later on in the interview. And I think that's probably just a case of sitting there for a couple of hours with a man and making them comfortable, but a year quite a poignant story from our,

4 (26m 7s):

And I'll pick up to a, to a traveler river until interior part of Borneo to report. They had been some turbo things happen. There is quite an arrest and that it was it on a regular or a river. It was the whole area was covered with. And he went to the water and up on the trees with the monkeys, you seen the monkeys at all the time.

4 (26m 55s):

It was in there. Yeah. Yes, yes, yes. I had a very fortunate, I'm very fortunate that the yes. Oh yes. I've seen some terrible things. The flying, Oh, well that will tell you the flame turn on the human beings,

0 (27m 56s):

Man. I don't know how to cope with a, watching a Harley, a bunch of people being set on fire on purpose in front of your eyes. So I live with that for, you know, 70 years for 60 years or whatever it is, having that in your mind, it's got to be a difficult thing, undoubtedly. So I mean, it, it, it, it must be a bit of a pre to be privileged for these guys to, to open up to You in that regard and give you these stories is what are the key? Is there any moments that really struck you? And we just, we think apart from that one there with RD, which was pretty fun, but not the sum of those that you just went, Oh man, I just, you know, I don't believe this or,

1 (28m 33s):

Well, yeah, I think, yeah, RD Story particularly, you know, that that's an interview that has set with me, you know, quite uncomfortably just because I think he found himself a little bit surprised and what he was sharing and I just, you know, to hold it together as an interviewer and listen to that and, and see a grown man break down in front of you and, and share what's happened to him. And then you think, wow, he's had this inside and who knows how many people he is told, but he's had this inside for all of his life. And you know, for him to share it with us, we feel incredibly privileged and he's not just sharing it with us. He is sharing it with the community. And so if that doesn't create any more empathy in you regarding another person, then you know, you've got a cold, dead heart to me.

1 (29m 20s):

Oh, a hundred percent. But yeah, every, I have to say every single person that we've interviewed have left us with multiple stories that, that you just shake your head out and you can't believe whether it's a funny, quick little story. We interviewed a lady named Leslie tannic. She was our third interview up into Womba and Leslie has passed away. She passed away on Anzac day, two years ago. And so the Anzac day, 2019 and her interview is only a 12 minutes long. Yeah. But you know, she has these funny little antidotes in there and a funny laugh and, and she just endears herself to us. And so it's, it's these stories that, you know, or something like that.

1 (30m 1s):

Or then you talk to a gentleman named Richard Saunders from Helens veil down on the gold coast. And, and we were pretty much done with the interview and Richard excused himself. He said, Jeff, I'm just going to hit the toilet and they'll come right back and said, no problem. He's coming back from the toilet after speaking to him for two hours. And he says, Oh yeah, I probably should mention 13 times I should have died. But then I didn't. And I said, wow, Richard you've lifted it to the end of the interview. This yes. So it explains You he was going up in, in multiple planes in intelligence, in Papa, new Guinea. And for one reason or another, a plane that he was supposed to go up in a or his schedule was changed or there was a bad weather or something on 13 different occasions, those planes didn't come back.

1 (30m 48s):

And it wasn't until he started thinking about that after the war that he realized just how lucky he was to actually get out of the war unscathed, having a crack isn't it, 13 times, like that's more than cat LA. You've got done. Cat is not bad. So yeah, no, but so many of them, like, I can mention every single veteran and, and tell you something unique about them, but, you know, that's what we're encouraging, you know, go on to the website, have a look at the, you know, some of them are very serious stories. Some of them are more lighthearted, but the full length documentary is that are available at the state library. Not all 22 are up yet with the state library. There is a transcription process and a and M they go through all of that before they're actually put up so that they will, I believe that we've got about nine between nine and 11 or so up there at the moment.

1 (31m 36s):

And so there'll be in In. I would imagine before Christmas, this year, you know, they'll have another six up or, or something like that, that kind of put up as quickly as they can get that.

0 (31m 46s):

I know that that's awesome. Look, I mean, it can't wait to have to listen to a more of them. In addition to that, I am so keen to have you having your own show and having these come up, come up on a weekly basis or whatever. Cause it's is so interesting and it's it, it puts so much of your heart and soul into it. So can I just say thank you for doing it? I think it's an amazing thing. And I, I hope my kids in my kid's kids and listening to these in needs to come and to be able to hear what went on back in the day, like, you know, you've done well. Is there any of that you want to mention before we wrap up?

1 (32m 16s):

What up, Oh, look, thanks for your time, Ryan. And I think what's important is, you know, I had a career before we started doing this, but you reached that point in your life or you start doing something and you feel that it is much more important to, to do this. And for me, it is working within this not-for-profit and we're small. We, you know, we've got a general manager, we've got a, myself, and we now will be having an advisory board, come on. We've got our are board of directors as well. And realistically, it's these little efforts that can turn into really shaping up a bigger picture. And so that's what we're hoping, you know, so if you'd like to support us, you know, you can go to our website.

1 (33m 0s):

We do have DGR status through documentary Australia foundation. So if there's any corporations or any businesses out there that like to give us a tax-free donation, you can do that through the link on our website or a look at, Hey, send us $10, send us $25 on a note and say, Hey, we love what you're doing. You know, Facebook Instagram, not as up on Instagram as we should be. However, w we've entered the world of Twitter as well. So if you can find us on Twitter, you can find us on Instagram. We can find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and yeah. Show your support. That'll be fun.

0 (33m 34s):

Cool, man. I'll be sure to share your Facebook and a few of the bits of those on your website as well. So people can come and find you. So thanks so much, man. I appreciate it. Sticks. And I'll catch up with you guys out there next week. I'll be things again to kick This checks, go get yourself some Coronas that are really delicious and the cold and yummy. And I'll catch up with you guys next week. Thanks to X from No Humble Opinions.