VVCS Health Programme
Dear Minister,
Recently I spent an afternoon doing an Orientation here in … for participation in the course Heart Health Program for Vietnam Veterans. .
I am a TPI and a Gulf War Veteran and was told about this course by other Veterans who did it last year and I said that I could not do it as I was not a Vietnam Veteran, but they said ask and I did and told the person at the VVCS that I was a Gulf War Veteran ( last year this was) and they would contact me when a course became available in my area.
So when I got this letter saying that the course was starting soon I was pretty excited.So off I went to do the orientation session and we filled out a questionnaire and stated that I was a Gulf War Veteran, and today I received a letter saying that I was unable to do the course because I was a Gulf War Veteran.
To me this has really disappointed me and I rang the Perth VVCS only to be told it was policy and the course was only open to Vietnam Veterans and not Peace Keepers. I am not a Peace Keeper but a Veteran that was in a War Zone. Marcia at the VVCS told me that they could make an exception in this case only if I never told my mates I was doing the course, was to me was not real professional of the VVCS to say that.
My question is that will the younger Veterans be turned away from the VVCS because they are not Vietnam Veterans and also will the younger Veterans have to wait until 20 years or so before we are able to participate in any of thee types of course.
The Heart Health course to me seems a great one for those of us who have difficulty getting out to actually do something instead of sitting down and watching TV all the time. Some of the older Veterans with differing degrees of PTSD and other disabilities see the course as a great way to get out and mingle with other Veterans as well.
I know some of the … Vietnam Vets pretty well and they were very pleased to see me attending and I would think it would be the same for others in the other states of this country.
I think the policy needs to be looked at and as well as the VVCS.