When you think about Anzac Day… you probably think of Diggers in slouch hats… and Gallipoli.

And that’s OK, because they WERE the original Anzac and their heroism, gave birth to this day of remembrance.

But those diggers are all long gone now, and there are other generations of service men and women that should be in your thoughts today.

And I’m not just talking about those who paid the ultimate price for their country…

We honour their sacrifice today, of course.

But what about those who returned to a country that quickly forgot their service,  and left them to fend for themselves?

Veterans who experienced unspeakable horrors in overseas conflicts and were expected to come home and just assimilate into everyday life, as if nothing had happened.

Cold Chisel summed it up perfectly in their iconic song Khe Sanh, which was released way back in 1978 and basically described PTSD suffered by a Vietnam vet.

FYI… PTSD as a medical term - was only first coined in the US in 1978 so Don Walker’s lyrics were pretty spot on.

Considering one of the greatest Aussie rock songs had it figured out in the 70s… There’s really no excuse for where we are now on this issue.

And The statistics are damning.

Since 2001, more than 1,200 Australian Defence Force veterans. and serving personnel have died by suicide.

A study last year found that number was three times higher than previously thought.

It’s a shameful legacy… of our country’s neglect… of those who’ve risked everything on our behalf.

So veteran groups welcomed the news last year that Scott Morrison was establishing a royal commission into veteran suicides.

It’s been tasked with producing an interim report by August this year.

And not to pre-empt the findings or anything, but you can guarantee it will reveal systemic failures in how veteran mental health is treated, and likely many issues… within the defence force too.

But, as we all know, the first step in fixing a problem is understanding what that problem is.

So these uncomfortable truths must see the light of day.

Sadly, we’ll probably lose more veterans before this issue is addressed, in a meaningful way.

That’s why it’s important that this Anzac Day, remember not only those lost to past conflict, but those lost in these past few years to their own conflict.

When you think about Anzac Day&hellip; you probably think of Diggers in slouch hats&hellip; and Gallipoli.
And that&rsquo;s OK, because they WERE the original Anzac and their heroism, gave birth to this day of remembrance.
But those diggers are all long gone now, and there are other generations of service men and women that should be in your thoughts today.
And I&rsquo;m not just talking about those who paid the ultimate price for their country&hellip;
We honour their sacrifice today, of course.
But what about those who returned to a country that quickly forgot their service,&nbsp; and left them to fend for themselves?
Veterans who experienced unspeakable horrors in overseas conflicts and were expected to come home and just assimilate into everyday life, as if nothing had happened.
Cold Chisel summed it up perfectly in their iconic song Khe Sanh, which was released way back in 1978 and basically described PTSD suffered by a Vietnam vet.
FYI&hellip; PTSD as a medical term - was only first coined in the US in 1978 so Don Walker&rsquo;s lyrics were pretty spot on.
Considering one of the greatest Aussie rock songs had it figured out in the 70s&hellip; There&rsquo;s really no excuse for where we are now on this issue.
And The statistics are damning.
Since 2001, more than 1,200 Australian Defence Force veterans. and serving personnel have died by suicide.
A study last year found that number was three times higher than previously thought.
It&rsquo;s a shameful legacy&hellip; of our country&rsquo;s neglect&hellip; of those who&rsquo;ve risked everything on our behalf.
So veteran groups welcomed the news last year that Scott Morrison was establishing a royal commission into veteran suicides.
It&rsquo;s been tasked with producing an interim report by August this year.
And not to pre-empt the findings or anything, but you can guarantee it will reveal systemic failures in how veteran mental health is treated, and likely many issues&hellip; within the defence force too.
But, as we all know, the first step in fixing a problem is understanding what that problem is.
So these uncomfortable truths must see the light of day.
Sadly, we&rsquo;ll probably lose more veterans before this issue is addressed, in a meaningful way.
That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s important that this Anzac Day, remember not only those lost to past conflict, but those lost in these past few years to their own conflict.

If you enjoyed listening to The West Live for your daily news fix, then come and join us over on The Nightly Five.  Host Ben O’Shea continues to deliver punchy news and analysis, in a new podcast to get you in front of tomorrow’s news today!  Subscribe on your favourite podcast player and visit the thenightly.com.au

If you enjoyed listening to The West Live for your daily news fix, then come and join us over on The Nightly Five.  Host Ben O’Shea continues to deliver punchy news and analysis, in a new podcast to get you in front of tomorrow’s news today!  Subscribe on your favourite podcast player and visit the <a href="https://thenightly.com.au">thenightly.com.au</a>

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