Local Veteran Honours Fallen Comrades Ahead of ANZAC Day

Lieutenant Colonel John Petteit, a member of the Hawkesbury District Sub-Branch, took to the streets of Richmond today, alongside fellow veterans for the ANZAC Sunday March and Commemorative Service at Richmond War Memorial.

Displaying his own medals earned during his service in Vietnam in 1969, alongside those inherited from his uncle’s valor in World War Two, Petteit commenced a series of events to honour the sacrifices made by Australia’s servicemen and women.

Lieutenant Colonel John Petteit served in Vietnam.

On Wednesday Petteit plans to attend a service at RSL LifeCare’s Ron Middleton Gardens in North Richmond. On ANZAC Day, he will participate in the city march following an earlier service in the Hawkesbury.

Reflecting on the significance of these tributes, Petteit underscored the importance of remembering not only those who fell in combat but also those who succumbed to the silent wounds of war.

“It’s also a time to remember the many who died after their service due to PTSD and other issues resulting from their time in war,” Petteit said.

“My brother was in Vietnam with the Armoured Corps for two years and died at the age of 47 from PTSD in 1989. It got him, it got a lot of people actually, and you don’t hear about those. You hear about the people killed there but you don’t hear about the many thousands that died afterward from war-related issue,” he said.