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In May of 1861 9-year-old John Lincoln “Johnny” Clem ran away from his home in Newark, Ohio, to join the Union Army, but found the Army was not interested in signing on a 9-year-old boy when the commander of the 3rd Ohio Regiment told him he “wasn’t enlisting infants,” and turned him down.

Clem tried the 22nd Michigan Regiment next, and its commander told him the same.

Determined, Clem tagged after the regiment, acted out the role of a drummer boy, and was allowed to remain. Though still not regularly enrolled, he performed camp duties and received a soldier’s pay of $13 a month, a sum collected and donated by the regiment’s officers.

The next April, at Shiloh, Clem’s drum was smashed by an artillery round and he became a minor news item as “Johnny Shiloh, The Smallest Drummer”. A year later, at the Battle Of Chickamauga, he rode an artillery caisson to the front and wielded a musket trimmed to his size.

In one of the Union retreats a Confederate officer ran after the cannon Clem rode with, and yelled, “Surrender you damned little Yankee!” Johnny shot him dead. This pluck won for Clem national attention and the name “Drummer Boy of Chickamauga.”

Clem stayed with the Army through the war, served as a courier, and was wounded twice.

Between Shiloh and Chickamauga he was regularly enrolled in the service, began receiving his own pay, and was soon after promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He was only 12 years old.

After the Civil War, he tried to enter West Point but was turned down because of his slim education. A personal appeal to President Ulysses S. Grant, his commanding general at Shiloh, won him a 2nd Lieutenant’s appointment in the Regular Army on 18 December 1871, and in 1903 he attained the rank of Colonel and served as Assistant Quartermaster General.

He retired from the Army as a Major General in 1916, having served an astounding 55 years.

General Clem died in San Antonio, Texas on 13 May 1937, exactly 3 months shy of his 86th birthday, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

 

 

With the start of the hearings of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide beginning next week, it’s an appropriate time for an update about the work RSL NSW is doing to make sure your voice is heard and the support we have available.

RSL NSW submission

The RSL NSW Royal Commission Office requested input from members in September to inform its submission to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Thank you to the hundreds of members who completed the survey.

The submission has incorporated the view of RSL NSW members, advocates and sub-Branches, and drawn on the significant breadth of evidence gathered in previous reports from inquiries into Defence and veteran suicide.

The submission notes that:

• There is considerable work ahead for the Government, the Australian Defence Force, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, ex-service organisations (ESOs) and Australian society in addressing the risk factors linked to Defence personnel and veteran suicide
• Veterans continue to face barriers regarding transition from Defence, accessing services for themselves and their families, and in their interactions with Government departments and claims processes
• While ESOs such as RSL NSW and the advocates linked to them represent an important source of health and wellbeing support to veterans, the difficult landscape that these organisations operate in hinder them functioning in the most effective way
• Throughout the previous inquiries, it has been common for governments to delay implementing recommendations. This is a source of significant frustration and a cause for cynicism as to the value of these inquiries among veterans, including the potential efficacy of the Royal Commission. The community expectation is that the time to act is now.

View the RSL NSW submission to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide

The RSL Australia submission to the Royal Commission, which incorporates our submission and those of several other individual State and Territory Branches, was submitted in early November and we expect the Royal Commission to make it publicly available soon, at which point we will advise members of its availability.

Public hearings

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide held its first public hearing at the Brisbane Convention Centre on Friday 26 November. The first block of public hearings where participants will give evidence begins in Brisbane on Monday November 29.

Support for veterans engaging with the Royal Commission

In addition to its work with RSL NSW and RSL Australia submissions, the RSL NSW Royal Commission Office at ANZAC House is here to provide support to all veterans in engagement with the Royal Commission.

Should you wish to make an individual submission about your personal experience beyond how it relates to RSL NSW, please follow this link to the Royal Commission website. This site contains instructions for providing an individual submission, in both electronic and paper formats.

If you require assistance to make an individual submission to the Royal Commission, please contact [email protected] or 0499 441 291.

The Attorney-General’s Department has advised that as a part of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide two types of legal assistance arrangements will be available – a legal financial assistance scheme and a national legal advice service. Please follow this link for information about the assistance provided by the Australian Government.

Defence and Veterans Legal Service

The Defence and Veterans Legal Service is a free national service supporting Australian Defence Force personnel and veterans, and their families, carers and supporters to safely share their experiences with the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

For more information view this brochure or visit the Defence and Veterans Legal Service website.

More information

See our Advocacy for Veterans’ Health and Suicide page for reports, media releases and other background information related the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

Mental health support

If you, or someone you know, requires mental health support, the following services are available:

• Your local RSL Sub-Branch can be found by clicking on this link (Please note that Sub-Branches do not offer mental health crisis support but can assist with connecting you to these services)
• Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14
• Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
• Open Arms (current and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families are able to seek this free and confidential support) – 1800 011 046
• ADF Mental Health All-hours Support Line (for current serving ADF personnel and their families) – 1800 628 036
• Safe Zone Support (for current and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families) – 1800 142 072. When you call Safe Zone Support, you do not need to identify yourself.

 

Black Lives Matter might be viewed as a grassroots movement of concerned people gathering together.  It is much more.

Black Lives Matter is a corporation whose real name is Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF). (Yep…it is one of those capitalistic corporations they profess to hate.)

The following information is on their website.  It is a nationwide corporation!  BLMGNF has chapters in Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Lansing, Long Beach, Memphis, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, South Bend and in Canada in Toronto, Vancouver, and Waterloo. (If you were impressed by how all those recent riots erupted simultaneously from a grassroots movement…well…maybe not so grassroots.)

BLMGNF is a not-for-profit corporation but not tax-exempt, so donations are not tax-deductible.  Except…if you go to its website and want to donate, you are transferred to ‘ActBlue Charities’ which will take your donation, give you a tax deduction, and then distribute your donation to BLMGNF.  Sort of…

Who is ActBlue?

Taken directly from ActBlue’s web page, “Our (ActBlue) platform is available to Democratic candidates and committees, progressive organizations, and nonprofits that share our values for no cost besides a 3.95% processing fee on donations. And we operate as a conduit, which means donations made through ActBlue to a campaign or organization are considered individual donations”.

ActBlue consists of three parts: ActBlue Charities facilitates donations to left-of-centre 501(c)(3) nonprofits; Act Blue Civics is its 501(c)(4) affiliate; ActBlue is a 527 Political Action Committee.  These three have raised over $5 billion dollars in the sixteen years since it started.  If its 3.95% transaction fee has been applied to all donations, that equates to over $197 million.

So, ActBlue is a Democratic Party front affiliated with BLMGNF.  If only it was that simple and stopped there.

From Business Insider Australia, “ActBlue…distributes the money raised to Thousand Currents, which is then granted to Black Lives Matter”.

What is Thousand Currents (Formerly International Development Exchange)?

Again, per Business insider Australia, “Thousand Currents is a 501(3)(c) non-profit that provides grants to organizations that are…developing alternative economic models…”. (Is anarchy now an alternative economic model?)

“Thousand Currents essentially acts as a quasi-manager for Black Lives Matter: ‘It provides administrative and back-office support, including finance, accounting, grants management, insurance, human resources, legal and compliance,’ (Executive Director Solome) Lemma said”. (Finance, insurance, human resources, legal and compliance?  It sounds like General Motors!)

What is the significance of the above?

Black Lives Matter is not some fly-by-night fad that is going to loot and destroy and then disappear into the ash heap of history. It is a multi corporation, big business which is heavily associated with and supports the Democratic Party and it is here to stay.   Arguing whether Black Lives or All Lives Matter is meaningless and distracts us from what it is trying to achieve.  It is a left-wing political movement that will have a significant impact on the Democratic Party programs for the foreseeable future.

Socialism and Communism are intimately linked to these efforts while the US Constitution and especially the Bill of Rights have no place in their plans.  Patrisse Cullors, one of Black Lives Matter’s co-founders is widely reported as saying, “We are trained Marxists”.

The president of Greater New York Black Lives Matter said that if the movement fails to achieve meaningful change during nationwide protests, it will “burn down this system.”  Not the peaceful change we celebrate under our Constitution but violent change.  For those of us who like our Constitution, this is a challenge thrown in our face.

If you have wondered why politicians have danced around criticizing Black Lives Matter, now you know.

 

In September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a History teacher at Joe T. Robinson High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks in her classroom. When the first-period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.  ‘Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?’

She  replied, ‘You can’t have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.’

They  thought, ‘Well, maybe it’s our grades.’  ‘No,’ she said.

‘Maybe it’s our behaviour.’ She told them, ‘No, it’s not even your behaviour.’

And so,  they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom. Kids called their parents to tell them what was happening and by early afternoon television news crews had started gathering at the school to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the desk-less classroom. Martha Cothren said, ‘Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he or she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.’

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) Veterans, all in uniform, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, ‘You didn’t earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. They went halfway around the world, giving up their education and interrupting their careers and families so you could have the freedom you have. Now, it’s up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don’t ever forget it.’

By the way, this is a true story. And this teacher was awarded Veterans of  Foreign Wars Teacher of the Year in 2006. She is the daughter of a  WWII POW.

Do you think this is worth passing along so others won’t forget either, that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by our Veterans? 

 

‘France has neither winter nor summer nor morals. Apart from these drawbacks, it is a fine country.  France  has usually been governed by prostitutes.’
Mark Twain

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‘I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me.’
General George S. Patton

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‘Going to war without  France  is like going deer hunting without your accordion.’
Norman Schwartzkopf

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‘We can stand here like the French, or we can do something about it.’
Marge Simpson

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‘As far as I’m concerned, war always means failure.’
Jacques Chirac, President of France

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‘The only time  France  wants us to go to war is when the German Army is sitting in  Paris  sipping coffee.’
Regis Philbin

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‘You know, the French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who was still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn’t have the face for it.’
John McCain , U.S. Senator from Arizona

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‘The last time the French asked for ‘more proof’ it came marching into Paris under a German flag.’
David Letterman

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‘War without  France would be like… World War II.’
Unknown

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‘The favourite bumper sticker in Washington D.C. right now is one that says ‘First Iraq, then France .”
Tom Brokaw

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‘What do you expect from a culture and a nation that exerted more of its national will fighting against Disney World and Big Macs than the Nazis?’
Dennis Miller

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‘It is important to remember that the French have always been there when they needed us.’
Alan Kent

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‘They’ve taken their own precautions against al-Qa’ida.    To prepare for an attack, each Frenchman is urged to keep duct tape, a white flag, and a three-day supply of mistresses in the house.’
Argus  Hamilton

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‘Somebody was telling me about the French Army rifle that was being advertised on eBay the other day –the description was, ‘Never shot. Dropped once.”
Rep. Roy Blunt, MO

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‘The French will only agree to go to war when we’ve proven we’ve found truffles in  Iraq  ‘
Dennis Miller

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Q. What did the mayor of Paris say to the German Army as they entered the city in WWII?

A. Table for 100,000 m’sieur?

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‘Do you know how many Frenchmen it takes to defend  Paris?   It’s not known, it’s never been tried.’
Rep. R. Blount, MO

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‘Do you know it only took  Germany three days to conquer  France in WWII?    And that’s because it was raining.’
John Xereas, Manager, DC Improv

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French Ban Fireworks at Euro Disney
(AP), Paris, March 5, 2003

The French Government announced today that it is imposing a ban on the use of fireworks at Euro Disney. The decision comes the day after a nightly fireworks display at the park, located just 30 miles outside of Paris, caused the soldiers at a nearby French Army garrison to surrender to a group of Czech tourists.

 

 

Maybe our Prime Minister should remind the French that there are nearly 50,000 Australian soldiers buried in France – but there are NO FRENCH soldiers buried in Australia. We had French-built Mirage Fighters that we could not deploy in Vietnam to support our troops, because the French had an agreement after they left Vietnam that no French military supplied war material would be used in their country !

Try and put that in the Media, especially with the French President calling Scott Morrison a liar!                                 

Ever wonder what happens when you forget history or are nationally arrogant?

___________________________________________________________________

JFK’S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60’s when DeGaulle decided to pull out of NATO. DeGaulle said he wanted all US military out of France as soon as possible.    Rusk  responded, “Does that include those who are buried here?”

You could have heard a pin drop

 

There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying  ‘Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?’   A  Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly:  ‘Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day. They can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from seawater each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?’

You could have heard a pin drop.

 

A Royal Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., British, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with  a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French Admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, the English learn only  English. He then asked, ‘Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?’    Without hesitating,  the British Admiral replied,   ‘Maybe it’s because the Brit’s, Canadians, Aussie’s, South Africans, and Americans arranged it so you wouldn’t have to speak German..’

You could have heard a pin drop.

 

AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE…    Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. “You have been to France before, monsieur?” the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.  “Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.” The Englishman said,   ‘The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.” “Impossible. You English always have to show your passports on arrival in France !” The English senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained,    ”Well, when I came ashore at Gold Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn’t find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

 

If you are proud to be an Australian, British, Canadian, American, South African, or a New Zealander pass this on!

 

Veterans and serving members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) can now become members of RSL NSW for free.

“There should be no barrier for any current serving member or veteran of the ADF to join RSL NSW,” the branch explains in a recent statement announcing the free membership.

NSW RSL CEO Jon Black says RSL membership means “so much more than being invited to commemorations and events”.

“It’s not just what you get as a valued member, it’s also about what you can do for other veterans too,” he says.

“The ADF and Armed Forces are a family of committed people who thrive on camaraderie and friendship. When retiring from service, that bond is continued via your local RSL NSW sub-branch. Staying connected to people who understand what you have been through is the most valuable support an ADF member can have.”

Until now the process for joining the RSL has been paper-based and, according to feedback from members, cumbersome. RSL NSW says it is responding to member feedback that it would be more efficient if becoming a member was an online process.

Prospective members can now join RSL NSW online.

RSL NSW believes free membership and the new online facility will make it easier than ever for serving ADF personnel and the veteran community to “come on board, connect with their local sub-branch and participate in the camaraderie, mateship, recreation and commemoration of service”.

RSL NSW is not just for ADF members and veterans. There are also options for partners, spouses and families to join.

Membership benefits include support for veterans who are on the road to recovery from mental or physical health issues, assistance with Department of Veterans’ Affairs claims and employment support.

“Whether it’s employment, medical or financial, we are here to help,” says NSW RSL President Ray James.

RSL NSW has a network of more than 340 sub-branches and chapters across NSW. Sub-branches are operated by veteran volunteers.

RSL NSW and its sub-branches do not own or operate clubs or benefit from the proceeds of the sale of alcohol or gambling.

 

 

Occasionally politicians need to be reminded war comes at a human cost

 

WARNING. This column contains language and descriptions which some people might find offensive.

However, not always for the reasons you might first think.

In political terms, Australians are fully engaged in what Churchill might have described The Phoney War.

It’s nonetheless vicious for all that because hell hath no fury like a cornered politician under threat.

Sadly, there’s a lot of phonies in Australian politics at the moments, not all of them in the fringe parties which might at first blush seem their natural habitat.

To read to full article click on the link below

Casualties in conflict a fact of life that must be accepted | Australian Defence History, Policy and Veterans Issues (targetsdown.blogspot.com)

ADF MEMBERS IN S.A. THIS IS FOR YOU.

Have you been recently posted to Adelaide and want to find out what this great part of the world has to offer?

For a great adventure out, join us at our twilight Welcome to South Australia event at the Adelaide Zoo on 11 February 2022. If you’ve recently moved to Adelaide, or even if you’ve been here a while, come along and bring your partner, parents and kids!

ADF members and families can find out more about what’s available in South Australia, and meet the DMFS team and other Defence families.

Tickets to our most popular event of the year are limited, so grab your tickets on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com.au/…/an-adf-families-event…

This is a Defence Member and Family Support event

NOTE: This event is only for Australian Defence Force members and their families.

ADF members and families in Adelaide are invited to join us for an evening of family fun at the Adelaide Zoo. A range of community groups and organisations will provide information about support, assistance and activities available in the area. Bring a picnic, or refreshments can be purchased from the Zoo Café.

Metered parking is available in the streets surrounding the venue. Parking is free after 6.00pm. We have also arranged free parking at the Torrens Parade Ground, which is a short walk from the Zoo.

Walkways and trails are accessible for individuals with strollers or wheelchairs. Unfortunately Zoos SA are unable to allow assistance animals on site at Adelaide Zoo.

Register by 31 January 2022. Due to limits on capacity imposed by the Zoo, every attendee, including infants 0-3 years old, will require a ticket. You must register each attendee’s name for this event.

You should carefully read the following information to ensure you are aware of all requirements relating to this event. This information is regularly updated and may not be the same as information on previous DMFS events you may have registered for.

• In line with government regulations and our COVID Safe Plan, tickets for this event are limited to ensure we practice safe social distancing.
• When registering for the event, you must register for a ticket for yourself and each person attending (including every baby, toddler and child).
• Ensure that the email address you register with is accurate as you will receive your booking confirmation, and any additional information or changes to the event, by email.
• When registering you will be required to provide your best contact number. In the event of a COVID-19 outbreak or the positive COVID-19 test result of an attendee, your contact details will be provided for contact tracing if directed by the Department of Health.
• In the event of a change in government COVID-19 restrictions, this event may be cancelled or rescheduled.
• If you or someone in your family are feeling unwell with flu-like symptoms on the day of the event, please stay at home. If you attend the event with flu-like symptoms, staff will advise you to return home and to seek medical advice.
• Antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser will be available at the event. Attendees are asked to make use of the hygiene measures available on arrival at the event and again when departing.
• A photographer will be in attendance at this event. If you don’t want to be photographed, or have your family photographed, please let the photographer know. Please note: any photos taken may be used in DMFS publications, online or on social media.
• Parents are required to remain onsite to supervise their children.
• If you have any mobility requirements, please email us at [email protected]
• If you become unable to attend the event, please cancel your booking by clicking on the link in your confirmation email ‘View and manage your order online’. This takes you to your ‘Tickets’ page where you can choose the ‘Cancel my Order’ option to release the tickets back to the event listing.
• Due to contact tracing requirements, it’s important that you do not transfer your tickets to another family.
• The waitlist will show automatically on the registration page once the event is fully booked. If you’d like to register on the waitlist, complete the ‘Contact Information’ form for every individual person who requires a ticket. For example, if three family members require a ticket you should complete the ‘Contact Information’ form three times.