Branch - Vietnam Veterans


The RAAF Vietnam Veterans Association (RAAFVVA) was formalised at the inaugural Annual General Meeting held on Anzac Day 1987.

Our History

The Association operated as a social organisation until the need for welfare support was recognised. This resulted in the RAAFVVA seeking affiliation with the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia, and as a consequence became a sub-branch of the VVAA in June 1992.

In 2012, after a referendum of members, the Association became an affiliated member of the Air Force Association, as the Vietnam Veterans Branch. In accordance with the wishes expressed by members at the time of the amalgamation with the Air Force Association (Victorian Division), we continue to operate in tandem with the Victorian Vietnam Veterans State Association of Australia as a small (but viable) RAAFVVA sub-branch. The Association maintains its involvement in all aspects of Veteran Welfare support and is well placed to meet the welfare needs of RAAF veterans.

The RAAFVVA is affiliated with the Air Force Association. Members are therefore welcome to visit and use the Air Force Association complex, which includes a reading room, library and small museum, whenever they are in the vicinity.


Contacts

President

Christopher Hudnott 
ph: 0438 331 215

Secretary

Vacant

RAAF Wellbeing and Compensation Advocates

Melbourne Area

Alan White - Wellbeing Advocate Level 2
ph: (03) 9598 1007

Melton

Bill Wiltshire - Compensation Advocate Level 2
ph: (03) 9746 9582

Meetings

Committee Meetings

The RAAFVVA Committee meets monthly in the “Point Cook Room” at the Air Force Association - Victoria headquarters at 24 Camberwell Road, East Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122 (ph: 03 9813 4600).

Meetings are held on the 1st Tuesday of the month, commencing at 1300 hours. RAAFVVA members are encouraged to attend these meetings as observers.

At least one monthly meeting each year – generally over a weekend – is held at a regional locality where at least one member reside

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting is traditionally held on a Sunday in February each year at the Air Force Association - Victoria headquarters (see above), commencing at 1400 hours. The meeting is completed in time to permit attending members to participate in a social reunion for the remainder of the afternoon.

Our Monthly Luncheons

The RAAFVV meets monthly at the Mail Exchange Hotel (see the map below) 


Join Us

There are three categories of RAAFVV membership:

  1. Ordinary membership: Persons who are:
    • A Vietnam Veteran serving or former member of the RAAF or Allied Air Forces with service for a minimum of 6 months, or adult partner, dependant or descendant.
  2. Association membership: Persons who are:
    • Widows or widowers of ex-RAAF Vietnam Veteran members; or
    • Spouses and partners of Ordinary Members; and their family members who are over 18 years of age.
  3. Concurrent membership: Persons who are:
    • Eligible for Ordinary Membership; and are maintaining current annual Ordinary Membership in a Air Force Unit or Role Association recognised by the Air Force Association. 
    • Note: All applications for Concurrent Membership will require Board of Management approval to take effect.

Membership of all categories is open to eligible applicants Australia-wide. Overseas applicants may also apply.

The Membership Application can be downloaded and printed from this site in PDF format. Simply click on the button below to download and print the form.

Download membership form

Please send your  completed form and your subscription to:

RAAF Vietnam Veterans Association
PO Box 1038
Hawthorn
Vic 3122

AFA Bursaries & Encouragement Awards

Since 2010, educational bursaries have assisted over 35 young students of RAAF Vietnam veterans with their education or training endeavors. For details and how to apply, please visit our Bursaries page.

Branch News


63 Branch - Vietnam Veterans Items found:      Showing Branch - Vietnam Veterans Items 1 - 25

Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - June 2025

In this edition:

From the President:

Another successful Anzac Day March was held this year between the city and the Shrine of Remembrance. Assembly time was a little earlier than past years and this led to some waiting around before step-off, but we were able to gather around our banner and catch up with each other before the March commenced..........


Read more...

2025 AFA Victoria Bursaries Awarded

The Vietnam Veterans Branch presented the Educational Bursaries and Encouragement Awards at its AGM.

Read more...

Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - March 2025

In this edition:

From the President:

Monthly lunches are becoming popular. Our budget is based on arranging these lunches (subsidised by the Branch) on a regular basis at the Mail Exchange Hotel in Bourke Street. We generally don’t schedule the lunch on the months that other Branch social activities are in place such as Anzac Day, VV Day and the AGM and they are advertised in our quarterlyNewsletter and by an email to all our members.............


Read more...

Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - December 2024

In this edition:

From the President:

Hot off the press today is the Government’s response to the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide and the acceptance of the overwhelming majority of the Commission’s recommendations.........

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Corporal John ‘Snow’ Coughlan

Corporal John 'Snow' Coughlan became the first RAAF member awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (CGM), the highest flying award for non-commissioned ranks (other than the Victoria Cross), since World War II.

Read more...

2025 Bursary Applications Now Open

Applications for the AFA Victoria 2025 Bursary & Encouragement Awards close on 25 January 2025. APPLY NOW!

Read more...

Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - September 2024

In this edition:

From the President:

As I mentioned in our last newsletter, Vietnam Veterans Day was expected to be a little different this year. Although the
VVAA (Victorian Branch) had encouraged its branches to support the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in their local
communities .............

Read more...

Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - December 2024

In this edition:

From the President:

Hot off the press today is the Government’s response to the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide and the acceptance of the overwhelming majority of the Commission’s recommendations...............

Read more...

RAAFVVA - An end of an era and new beginnings.

In February 2024, the Sub-Branch of the VVAA (Vic) and the Vietnam Veterans Branch of AFA Victoria held their AGM and, significantly, their last combined meeting.

 

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Bursary & Encouragement Award Recipients

Daughters of Air Force Nursing Officers presented with 2024 Bursaries and Encouragement Awards.

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Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - March 2024

In this edition:

From the President:

As I mentioned in my recent general email to all members, members of our committee have worn a ‘second hat’ as members of the VVAA but time rolls on,..........

Read more...

Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - December 2023

In this edition:

From the President:

Our progress on closing our connection with VVAA (as a SubBranch) continues. The VVAA (Vic) Treasurer has been liaising on our behalf with Consumer Affairs Victoria and after some delay,............

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Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - September 2023

In this edition:

From the President:

I’m penning (typing) this President’s report on Vietnam Veterans Day having just survived the wind, the showers and 12 degrees at the Shrine of Remembrance. Ruth and I are off to Scotland in a couple of days to catch up with our bonnie daughter in Glasgow –............

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Commemorative Medallion for Vietnam Veterans

The Prime Minister launches a commemorative medallion to honour those who served in the Vietnam War.

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Bursaries Awarded to Worthy Young Recipients

Vietnam Veterans Branch awards Educational Bursaries to three worthy students.

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Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - March 2023

In this edition:

From the President:

As I began this report for the 2023 Annual General Meeting, I thought a good place to start would be to review the year from the Newsletters that our publisher, Geoff Rose, put together during the last 12 months..............

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Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - December 2022

In this edition:

From the President:

You will also see information about our monthly lunches at the Mail Exchange Hotel at the corner of Spencer and Bourke Streets. I am hoping to announce some financial incentive to attract members to attend these lunches at our AGM.......

Read more...

Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - September 2022

In this edition:

From the President:

Vietnam Veterans Day on the 18 August was a bit special this year. It marked 60 years since Australia’s first involvement
in the Vietnam War and 50 years since the withdrawal of Australian combat forces in 1972 (not forgetting, of course,
the humanitarian flights by HQ Richmond Detachment S in 1975)............

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RAAF Vietnam Veterans Retreat

History & Heritage Branch will host a RAAF Vietnam Veterans Retreat at Ipswich Amberley Air Tattoo 29-30 Oct.

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Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - June 2022

In this edition:

From the President:

I’m sure we were all relieved to see a return to normal arrangements for the Anzac Day March, although the overall number of banners and marchers were reduced. This, in turn, led to our contingent leaving a little earlier than the advertised step-off time...........

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2022 Bursaries & Encouragement Awards

Two students received awards at the Vietnam Veterans Branch/RAAF Sub-Branch Vietnam Veterans Association (Vic) AGMs.

Read more...

Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - March 2022

In this edition:

From the President:-

The past year has again seen the impact of COVID on the community as we comply with everchanging government requirements and using our own judgement to further restrict our personal activities to avoid large crowds or using public transport........

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2020 Bursaries Awarded for Continuing Education

Two young students were presented with educational bursaries in support of their continuing academic studies.

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Vietnam Veterans Newsletter - December 2021

In this edition:

From the President:-

On 12 November, I attended the VVAA State Council meeting in Ballarat and it was great to see the familiar faces of the sub-branch Presidents again after so many months and surviving the frustration of so many cancelled attempts to hold the meeting.
There were two features of the meeting that will be of interest to our members. Dianne Dempsey, the author of a new book titled “When He Came Home” gave a presentation of her work which stresses the important role that veterans’ wives had in holding their families together in the face of government and community indifference to the psychological harm that impacted so many veterans from the Vietnam conflict. The book is available on-line for about $30............
Read more...

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