Remembrance Day – Remembering Now and Always
A Message from our CEO, Janna Volshin
CEO Janna Voloshin pauses at the Australian War Memorial Canberra
Today we stop and remember.
At 11am on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the world pauses each year, to remember:
…those who serve their country in war and in peace,
…in the past and in the present,
…here and overseas,
…and to honour all who have lost their lives in the protection of our freedom.
We will never forget what these men and women have done for us.
We will remember them.
As we think about the sacrifices that have made by those who’ve served – from the dirt and horror of the trenches in World War I – to the destruction caused by improvised explosive devices used in modern-day warfare – today, I would also like to take a few moments to think about those left behind.
Our soldiers, sailors and air force risk their lives – particularly in war, but also in peacetime. When a life is lost, left behind are the partners, wives, husbands, parents and children, left grieving for them and facing a life without them. There are many in our community who know this.
Here at Vasey RSL Care, our name reflects one of those people – one who made it her mission to care for the bereft.
Mrs Jessie Mary Vasey became a war widow herself in the final weeks of World War II, when a plane crash took the life of her husband, Major General George Alan Vasey. Mrs Vasey worked tirelessly for the thousands of young women and children, widowed and orphaned by that war.
We are now in 75th year since Mrs Vasey set up the War Widows Guild, providing practical assistance, housing and advocacy for young widows and their children, and our organisation is proud to bear her name and continue her legacy today.
As she took on this work, she knew what it meant to be a widow with children, as do many in our residential homes, among our home care clients, and living at our ex-service accommodation. There is also a small but increasing number of war widowers, as the proportion of women serving grows. And among our community are some who are both veterans themselves and war widows or widowers. Here, a sense of recognition, of understanding, and of comfort unites those who know what it is to serve and those who know what it is to lose their loved one to their service.
And here in Australia, our forces are always there for us. They are called upon when there is nobody else who can help. They are sent into situations that are dangerous and difficult. They rescued people from the bush fires, supported injured wildlife, and faced anger on our ‘ring of steel’ borders during the COVID lockdown just in these past two years.
They help the most vulnerable members of our community.
They put their own lives in harm’s way to protect others.
Their loved ones know exactly how much they risk.
So Here at Vasey RSL Care, we will remember them: we will always ensure that remembrance is at the heart of our endeavours, not just today, but every day.
Following in the footsteps of Mrs Vasey, we will work tirelessly to support and advocate for veterans and war widows.
We owe them a huge debt and it will never be forgotten.
Betty from Vasey RSL Care Brighton recalls her time as a nurse during World War II
Jacob from HelloCare interviewed our resident Betty, from Vasey RSL Care Brighton, about her career as a war nurse in World War II, with Lifestyle Coordinator, Vicki.
Betty was just 16 when she took a St John’s First Aid course before enlisting in the army in the Voluntary Aid Detachment. She became a Sergeant after 18 months and enlisted to go to Lae in New Guinea to care for our forces. Listen to her story below.