MEDIA ALERT
Australians Reunited – Terendak Repatriation, 2 June 2016
On Thursday, 2 June 2016 Australia will welcome home 33 Australian service personnel and dependents, many of whom were casualties of the Vietnam War, from cemeteries in Malaysia and Singapore. It will be one of the largest single repatriations of Australian service men and dependents in Australia’s history.
In May 2015, the Australian Government announced an offer of repatriation to the families of 35 Australian service personnel and dependents interred at Terendak Military Cemetery in Malaysia, and the Australian who died during the Vietnam War and was interred in the Kranji War Cemetery in Singapore. Thirty three families have accepted the Government’s offer.
Two Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft will land around 10:20am on Thursday, 2 June at RAAF Richmond in Sydney, where a formal military repatriation ceremony will be held. There will be no public access to RAAF Richmond.
Veterans of the Vietnam War, including some who served with the returning service men, will also be in attendance. The formal ceremony will be followed by a private memorial service for the families of those being reunited with their loved one. There will be no media access to this private service.
At the conclusion of the memorial service, 33 hearses bearing the returning Australians will depart via a funeral procession from RAAF Richmond. The funeral procession is expected to be approximately 800 metres in length, and the precise route will be published closer to the day.
RAAF Richmond is an operating military base and access is by prior accreditation only. Media wanting to attend the repatriation must register their attendance by 5pm on Thursday, 26 May. Media who have not applied for accreditation by this date will not have access to RAAF Richmond on the day of the repatriation. Accredited media passes will be distributed at the media briefing on Monday, 30 May at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Sydney Office.
All arrangements have been made in accordance with the families’ wishes and with respect for their privacy. With this in mind, and to allow the media to cover this important story, specific areas at RAAF Richmond will be set up for members of the media. A detailed media program is being finalised, and will be provided at a briefing for the media in Sydney on 30 May 2016.
N.B. Due to timing and traffic constraints it will not be possible for one media representative to cover both the repatriation at RAAF Richmond and the funeral procession travelling through Parramatta.
Media enquiries:
Department of Veterans’ Affairs Media: 02 6289 6203
Media arrangements
Monday, 30 May 2016
11:30am: Media briefing – Department of Veterans’ Affairs Sydney Office, Level 2 Tower B, 280 Elizabeth Street
A summary of the proposed arrangements for the arrival of the Australians repatriated to the Richmond Airforce Base is as follows:
Thursday 2 June 2016
05:30am: Gate to RAAF Richmond open to media
9:00am: Media access to the Base closes
10:00am: RAAF C-17 Flyover
10:20 and 10:30am: 2x RAAF C-17 land and ceremonial ramp ceremony commences
11:00am: Private family service begins (not open to the media)
12:15pm: 33 hearse Funeral Procession departs from RAAF Richmond Airforce Base
13:00pm: Funeral procession travels through the Centre of Parramatta (media area to be advised)
Registration: To register, please email on the attached media registration form.
For more information please call Dale Starr on 0428 805 578
Media Registration
Terendak Repatriation
Richmond RAAF Base – 2 June 2016
Media details (primary contact):Full Name:
Contact phone number(s) / Email:
Media organisation details
Name:
Contact number(s) / Email:
Newspaper / TV / News/Photo Agency
Radio / Other – please specify:
Crew details
Richmond RAAF Base
Names of other crew member(s) + role(s) – a media identification pass will be allocated for each member
Details of specialist media vehicle required onsite (media production vehicles only - an official vehicle parking permit will be allocated for one approved vehicle)
Bulky equipment required onsite? If yes, please detail
Do you intend covering the Funeral Procession travelling through Parramatta at lunchtime on 2 June?
N.B. Due to timing and traffic constraints it will not be possible for one media representative to cover both the repatriation at RAAF Richmond and the funeral procession travelling through Parramatta. / Yes / No
Will you attend the media briefing/media at 11:30am on Monday, 30 May? / Yes / No
Please return this form by 5pm on Thursday, 26 May 2016 to
Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS) can be reached 24 hours a day across Australia for crisis support and free and confidential counselling. Phone 1800 011 046 (international: +61 8 8241 45 46). VVCS is a service founded by Vietnam veterans.