|
Remembering ALL Our Fallen 
2015 Reunion
project to collect photos of all
our
deceased veterans headstones
email
the photo
here
[do
close-up photos for best detail]
link to more news
beginning
January 2019 -
news archive |
 NOTICAS
FATAL 530926 LCpl AD (Doug) Moore RNZIR Aslt Pnr - webmaster
[3 December 2018
updated]
Terry Lynch has advised that Doug Moore passed away in Tauranga
possibly Friday 30 November 2018 as Doug lived alone.
Funeral
Wednesday 5 December 1400 Hrs (2 PM) at the Tauranga RSA Hinton
Lounge |
|
 W3 RNZIR Reunion
2018 -
48th reunion
Mosgiel November 2018
Details of the W3 RNZIR 48th reunion
are at this link. |
Historic Photo - webmaster
[1 December 2018]
Cass daughter of Gary Brooker has provided the following photo
of Gary in a platoon setup taken in
Burnham likely in early 1969. From feedback it seems to be
Lt Glendenning's platoon in 1Bn Depot. Most shown are future W3
veterans.
.jpg)
top: Edwards, ?,
Kenyon, Hill, ?, Day (V5), Hall, Gurnick
middle: Howell, Perawiti (also V2), Reddy (also W1), Lee, Portland,
G.Robertson,
Porter, Taukiri, Cpl Lalonde (not W3)
bottom: LCpl Kingi? (not W3), Newson, Brooker, Fong, 2Lt Glendenning
(V5),
Vinall, Hansen, Drylie, |
 NOTICAS
FATAL 41473 Lt John Fisher RNZIR 3 Pl - webmaster [6
November 2018 - updated]
Website has been advised that John Fisher died today in Nelson
after a short battle with cancer.
John’s funeral will be held on
Saturday 10th November at 2:00pm at St Thomas’
Anglican Church, High St, Motueka. |
Motions for the 48th
Anniversary AGM - webmaster 4 November 2018
These are the two motions received to date for the W3 AGM to be held at Mosgiel RSA AM 18 November 2018:Motion 1: That members agree to collectively fund the website hosting fee of about $200 per annum until 2021. Moved Mark Binning, 2nd Len Tallentire
Background to the Motion: The W3 website is a leading and very comprehensive New Zealand veteran’s website providing coverage of the Vietnam War experience. It has become authoritative and recognised as a research tool by ...historians, being listed as a reference in some bibliographies. This interest has become more than just war stories with new information being sought into the members’ ethnicity and motivation for joining. Is it true that more Māori than European served in the Vietnam conflict..? As such the website can provide a sample if members actively support further research by updating the personal details of all veterans where known. Members should note that in 2021 Bruce Young intends to pass responsibility for the website to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage as was agreed at the 2010 reunion AGM. However most members will be aware that a closed group Facebook page “W3 RNZIR Reunions” has been started to replace the News content on the website. The Facebook page is being managed by Bruce for W3 veterans and whānau and has around 60 members at this time, its focus is on welfare and support matters affecting W3 people.
Addendum to the motion: Jill Dunlea has offered to donate $500 to keep the W3 website going. Jill acknowledges that Ross was very proud of the W3 website for keeping the history alive. Members may vote to accept the donation in Ross's name which fulfils the intention of the Motion.
Motion 2: That members agree to support a 50th Anniversary Reunion in Christchurch in November 2020. Moved Neil Ure, 2nd Len TallentireBackground to the Motion: Bruce Young is offering to organise the Company 50th Anniversary reunion at RSA premises in Christchurch over the weekend of 13 – 15 November 2020, this is intended to be the final Company national reunion since veterans numbers are dwindling and all surviving veterans will be at least 70 at that time. The reunion programme would be based on feedback from members and may change format. At the 2020 Reunion AGM members will be asked to close the W3 reunion funds account by donating remaining funds to the three W3 Vietnam Veterans scholarships.
|
|
W3
Reunion 2018 - webmaster [30 October 2018]
Reunion is on, these 44 veterans are registered
but more are welcome:
|
Ben Hona |
1Pl |
Bill Hansen |
3Pl |
|
Craig Cocker |
1Pl |
Chris Kennedy |
3Pl |
|
David Gundersen |
1Pl |
Frank Ryan |
3Pl |
|
Denny King |
1Pl |
George Preston |
3Pl |
|
Ian Caldwell |
1Pl |
Greg Taukiri |
3Pl |
|
James Oliver |
1Pl |
Neil Ure |
3Pl |
|
Jim Cutler |
1Pl |
Roy Whatarangi |
3Pl |
|
John Nicolle |
1Pl |
Vic Hill |
3Pl |
|
Jules Toheriri |
1p |
Chris Stock |
Coy HQ |
|
Tony Panirau |
1Pl |
Doug Mackintosh |
Coy HQ |
|
Bill Blair |
1Pl /CHQ |
Evan Torrance |
Coy HQ |
|
Peter Anderson |
1Pl /CHQ |
Fred King |
Coy HQ |
|
Daniel Campbell |
2Pl |
Hugh Auld |
Coy HQ |
|
David McLeod |
2Pl |
Len Tallentire |
Coy HQ |
|
Graham Harris |
2Pl |
Nigel Clifford |
Coy HQ |
|
Lewis Pagan |
2Pl |
Ron Lichtwark |
Coy HQ |
|
Ngatoko Kupe |
2Pl |
David Condon |
Mor |
|
Peter Brown |
2Pl |
David Flintoff` |
Mor |
|
Rawiri (Dave) Waaka |
2Pl |
Mark Binning |
Mor |
|
Rex Ryan |
2Pl |
Ross Cherry |
Mor |
|
Richard Bennett |
2Pl |
Bill Compton |
Pnr |
|
Robert Upton |
2Pl |
Gary Pickering |
V6 |
If your name is not on the list but you are
planning to attend then tell me at bruceyoung@xtra.co.nz ASAP
please. Total all people = 80, nine apologies and several people
still likely to attend.
|
|
W3
Reunion 2018 - webmaster [26 October 2018]
Attached is
the
3rd 2018 reunion newsletter. We still need
a collective effort to locate our MIA – veterans whose address
is not known to the website administrator. The
organisers look forward to seeing you in Mosgiel in November
2018. Stay well and be determined to make the trip… |
  Commemorating
Tom Cooper 3Pl - died of wounds 11 October
1970On 10
October 1970 3 Platoon suffered
a 'blue on blue' accident when one section fired on another
section by mistake. Friendly fire killed Pte Tom Cooper,
crippled Pte Ian Herd and wounded LCpl William Samson and Pte
Ross Dunlea. The accident cast a pall over the otherwise
successful W3 tour and left the company personnel traumatised,
saddened and frustrated.
Tom was struck a glancing blow to the head by a bullet. He was
winched with the three other wounded from the accident site by
US Army 'dustoff' helicopter about 40 minutes after being
wounded and flown to the Australian Field Hospital at Vung Tau.
Unconscious, Tom’s condition was assessed as critical and
needing
immediate specialist treatment and he remained on the helicopter
which then flew him to the US Hospital at Long Binh. Tom died
of his wound sometime on 11 October 1970.
When returned to New Zealand
Tom's
body lay in state for three days on the
Te
Awamarahi Marae [Tuakau, Port Waikato] before,
on the Maori Queen’s orders,
being buried
in the Royal Graveyard on the sacred Taupiri Mountain above SHW1
in the Waikato. Tom’s sister Liz recollects that Tom was buried
with full military honours including gun carriage and graveside
volleys. |
|
PUBLINTICAS
Lt John Fisher 3Pl - webmaster [9 September
2018] John Fisher's wife
Marilyn advises that John has been diagnosed with cancer and has
been admitted to Nelson Hospital. Marilyn advises that
they had to return suddenly from a holiday in the UK on doctors
advice. The cancer has spread widely and doctors have
identified a large clot on his lung. Prognosis is
poor.
Grahame Edwards 2Pl advises "I
saw John earlier today. He was clearly in the mood to chat and
talked about being crook while in the UK and the long trip back
home, over six days. He’s been back here five or six days now
and been through the mill where the Nelson doctors needed to
re-examine him. That finished today, and he’d had a guts full of
it. John seems in good spirits, his family are gathering around,
coming from all over. He’s very unwell and knows it."
UPDATE: Barry Pont visited John this morning, John was being moved to Nelson Hospice. UPDATE:
John is returning home to Motueka, hopes to see Christmas. |
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W3
Reunion 2018 - webmaster [8 July 2018]
Attached is
the
2nd 2018 reunion newsletter which is basically the
registration form. Registration officially closes on 8 October
for catering purposes but unofficially on 16 November. If the
form is not clear drop me a line using
webmaster@w3vietnam.org.nz.
We still need
a collective effort to locate our MIA – veterans whose address
is not known to the website administrator. New to this reunion
are these questions:
|
W3 Website Research
Questions: |
|
|
|
|
veteran
ethnicity:
(circle) |
NZ
European |
NZ Maori |
other |
|
does the veteran have an iwi
or other affiliation..? |
|
|
|
list the veterans Basic No &
year or RF Cadet class & year or
commissioning details |
|
The
organisers look forward to seeing you in Mosgiel in November
2018. Stay well and be determined to make the trip… |
 NOTICAS
FATAL 40941 Dvr Barry Boylan RNZASC 2Pl
- webmaster [7 June 2018]
The Vets net is advising that Barry died
Wednesday 6 June 2018. Service in Hawera
(Cleggs Funeral Home) 8 June 0830 hours then leaving at 0950
hours for New Plymouth crematorium. More details when
known.
Post tributes for the W3 website
here.
(8 June) Fred Komene said there were three VVets
in attendance. From Whanganui MacC, Rip and myself.
Lot of local farmers there, by the number of gumboots outside
the funeral home. From there Barry was taken to NP
Crematorium where Mounga Taranaki was highlighting the Province
and his whanau. |
 Commemorating
John Gurnick 3Pl - died of wounds 29 May 1970
John was cover scout for 3Pl on 29
May 1970 when a booby trap was missed and he and Chris Kennedy
were wounded, John dying of his wounds within a short period.
Chris recovered after a period in 1AFH and returned to 3Pl for
the remainder of the tour.A brief description of the
event is here, the
after-action report
here,
and the timeline here. |
 NOTICAS
FATAL 43715 Pte Graham Ryalls
RNZIR 2Pl -
webmaster [27 May 2018]
John Nicolle advises that Graham Ryalls 2Pl died last Monday
morning 21 May 2018 in Blenheim. Apparently he was
cremated. The
story goes that Scrubber was in and out of hospital and signed
himself out to attend the ANZAC Day dawn service, someone
provided a wheelchair.
Post tributes for the W3 website
here. This one speaks for itself, dated 14 June 2018:
Hi, just read the notification of Graeme Ryalls Death on your
website. Ryallsee was my neighbour and friend who was a
cheeky, mischievous fulla right to the very end. He knew the end
was near and it didn't seem to bother him as he had come to
terms with his illness. His wish was to attend this years ANZAC
Day service in Picton which he did. He had also hoped to attend
our very first Linkwater ANZAC Day Service but was not able to
due to health concerns.
At approximately 1430 hrs on 21
May 2018, I received a phone call from his wife Lois, she asked
to come help her because Ryallsee was stuck in the window and
she couldn't get him back in and that she also thought he had
died. So myself and a friend went to see what we could do to
help and as it turned out Ryallsee had indeed passed away.
Funeral arrangement were made, and Ryallsee was cremated in
Nelson the next day. Lois will spread his Ashes at the house
sometime in the near future.
Because we
never had a chance to say good bye to Ryallsee, a bunch of us
locals, some of whom like myself, are ex-Defence personnel are
going across the road to the Linkwater Inn this Sunday at 1600
hrs for a drink and a toast for our friend and neighbour.
Lois has mentioned that some of the Vietnam Vets and RSA members
are organising something for Scrubber at the Picton RSA, but as
yet I have not heard any details but I am sure the Picton RSA
will post it on their web.
Kind
regards, John Richard Smith, (WO2 retired) RNZEME/RNZALR
PUBLINTICAS Pte Graham Ryalls 2Pl -
webmaster [29 April 2018]
John Nicolle advises that Scrubber has been
admitted to Blenheim hospital with breathing problems, outlook
bleak. |
 NOTICAS
FATAL 42582 Pte Dennis Ronald Chambers RNZIR 2Pl/Coy HQ
- webmaster [20 April
2018]
Veterans are advised that Dennis Chambers died suddenly
Invercargill 17 April 2018. Service
in Invercargill Monday 23 April at 1130AM at the Eastside
Baptist Church, Glengarry.
Survived by his wife Yvonne and children Stephen,
Teresa, and Cecil.
Post tributes for the W3 website
here.
(23 April) Ian Beker who said the Ode at Dennis's service,
advised that six Vietnam Veterans including two from W3 were
present at the service and gave Dennis a good send-off. |
|
On Facebook..? -
webmaster [4 March 2018]
W3 RNZIR Reunions Facebook page supports reunions that W3
RNZIR hold around New Zealand by engaging with and encouraging
past members and their families to attend, to access welfare
resources and to maintain old friendships. It is a closed group
for W3 veterans and their families. Find yourself among
the photo albums of our old reunions.
The site is
moderated and restricted to reunion and welfare matters.
Join here |
W3
Reunion 2018 - webmaster [1 January 2018]
Details of the W3 RNZIR 2018 reunion in Dunedin
Mosgiel are at this link.
There has been a change of venue.
The reunion
website project is to identify the
location and email address of all
our missing veterans [MIA]. We grow fewer in number at
each reunion, it's time to update the W3 veterans nominal roll
as an outreach to our Missing in Action comrades... |
Website Statistics - webmaster [1
January 2018]
In March 2017 the W3 website readership slightly peaked with
2070 unique visitors, with an annual total of 17,102 unique
visitors which is similar to other years (but September is
missing so a further [average] of 1425 could be anticipated).The first table illustrates different
statistics for visitors: unique visitors
is based on different IP addresses [same computer multiple
visits equals one] - Number of visits is a computer who has not
linked to the site in the previous hour - pages is the
total of times a HTML [web] page has been viewed [but does not
count PDF or other files or images], while hits show total
of everything viewed or downloaded [page plus all images on page
are counted] and bandwidth is the amount of data
downloaded and read each month.
The second
table is for December 2017 and illustrates the wide range of countries finding the website;
in the past the US was consistently the largest downloader of
pages. While the New
Zealand page count is in second place the actual size downloaded is
almost four times that of the US:
|
link to more
news from 2017 -
news archive |