The Returned and Services League of Australia, Washington, DC

I am saddened to report the passing of RSL Member Alex Whitehead. I had the honor of meeting Alex and his wife at the RSL several years ago. RSL Secretary Dave Ward and his wife Trish attended funeral services for Alex. A. Duncan Whitehead, 89, of Dallas, Pennsylvania passed away Friday evening, September 10, 2010, at his home. Born in Brentwood, Essex, England, he was a son of the late Harry and Edith Bothwell Whitehead. His family later moved to Australia where he attended the Melbourne schools and the Swinburne Technical College. Duncan served in the Australian Merchant Navy during World War II. Before retiring, he was employed as data processing manager by Intermetro, Wilkes-Barre. Duncan was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Dallas, and the Rotary Club of Dallas, where he was past president, past secretary, and a Paul Harris Fellow. He also was a member of the Returned and Services League of Australia, Washington, D.C., sub-branch, George M. Dallas Lodge 531 F.&A.M., C

A thank you to all who attended yesterday's meeting. Thanks also to Lt. Col. Mitchell Kent and Lauren Roche of the Australian Army staff for all of their help. A special thank to Col. Brice Houdet for his outstanding presentation. He kindly sent me a link for the Foreign Legion wine, with his quote below: http://www.legion-boutique.com/ Please note that on each bottle they sold, the benefit goes to the fund that helps running the retirement home for crippled legionnaires at Puyloubier. This is charity mixed with good drinking !

Time: Noon to 2:00 pm. Where: Amenities room, Embassy of Australia, 1601 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 Speaker: Colonel Brice Houdet, French Army Topic: The French Foreign Legion Today Colonel Houdet is currently the French Army Attache to the United States. Prior to his assignment here he commanded the 2nd Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment. He is a graduate of St. Cyr, he served in a variety of command positions in the Foreign Legion. Col. Houdet also served on operations in the Balkans and Africa. He will speak to us about his time in the Legion. Lunch: $15.00, including sodas. Alcoholic beverages, $2.00 each. Volunteers: As usual, we need a volunteer (or two) to run the bar. R.S.V.P. by noon on Wednesday September 8, 2010, to David Ward on 202-352-8550 or via e-mail at dmpward at wwdb dot org Parking: There is no parking at the Embassy. There is public parking behind and under the Airline Pilots Association at a cost of $15.00 for two hours. Future Monthly meetin

Symposium - An Adaptive Army for a Complex Peace - the Australian Army Experience When: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 7:30AM - 1:30PM Where: Embassy of Australia, 1601 Massachusetts Ave.,NW, Washington, DC The Symposium is being offered as an opportunity for participants to obtain insights into the 'complex' peace' that is likely to characterize the international security environment post the current Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and well into the foreseeable future. Key Speakers include: - Major General David Morrison, Australian Army forces Commander - LtGen Flynn, Deputy Commandant Marine Corps - Capability Development - Mr Ricky Smith, Army Capability Integration Centre - Forward - Dr David Kilcullen, Noetic Associate and advisor to US Military - Mr Andrew Balmaks - Noetic Principle - Brigadier H.R. McMaster, Director Concept Development and Experimentation, US Army Training & Doctrine Command - Mr Craig Coleman - CEO Professional Services Solutions RSVP by August 11

When: Wednesday, August 4, 2010 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm Where Healy Hall The Philodemic Room at Georgetown University Details - Australia’s general election will be held on August 21, 2010. What will happen? What are the issues? Come hear a panel of experts discuss the prospects. Invited Panelist include: Dr. Lesley Russell, Senior Fellow, Center for Australia and New Zealand Studies, and Visiting Fellow of the Center for American Progress Bruce Wolpe, Senior Advisor to Rep. Henry Waxman, member, Australia-American Leadership Dialogue, past Director of Corporate Communications, Fairfax Media EJ Dionne, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution, Columnist, Washington Post Michael Brissenden, Washington Correspondent Australian Broadcasting Corporation RSVP to Marie Champagne at (202) 687-7467 or CANZ at georgetown dot edu Sponsor: Center for Australian and New Zealand Studies *Details were originally supplied by the Southern Cross Group e-mail newsletter

Time Noon to 2:00 pm. Where –Amenities room Embassy of Australia, 1601 Massachusetts, Ave., Washington, DC 20036 Speaker: Dr. David L. Charney, MD * Topic: Why do people spy? *David Charney, MD • Founder and Medical Director of Roundhouse Square Psychiatric Center, in Alexandria, VA • Expert on the Psychology of the Spy • Psychiatric consultant to three spies after they were arrested: • Earl Pitts, Robert Hanssen, Brian Regan • Developer of the Concept: Life Stages of the Spy • Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, George Washington University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences • Total Years of Experience for you to benefit and learn from: 30 * http://cicentre.com/experts.html Lunch: $15.00, including sodas. Alcoholic beverages, $2.00 each. Volunteers: As usual, we need a volunteer (or two) to run the bar. R.S.V.P. by noon on Wednesday August 11, 2010, to David Ward on 202-352-8550 or via e-mail at dmpward at wwdb dot org Parking: There is no parking at the Embas

Greetings to all of our members and supporters. Recently I have noted an increase in attendance at our monthly meetings here at the Embassy and I am very grateful to those of you who have been able to find the time to support our speaker program and to those who bring guests. The monthly meetings and speaker program is really the centerpiece of our sub-branch here in DC and because we are in the capital of the United States we are able to leverage off the cosmopolitan makeup of the city. Last month's speaker was able to provide a unique perspective on the current situation in Afghanistan, one you probably won't read in the Washington Post. As an Australian contractor working for the past six years in Afghanistan, Mr. Craig (Shorty) Coleman was able to speak with some authority on issues of 'ground truth' particularly in relation to the commercial realities of doing business inside Afghanistan. I want to thank Mr. Mario Mirarchi who coordinates our Speaker Program for hi

Lest We Forget Returned & Services League of Australia Washington, DC Sub-Branch 1601 Massachusetts Avenue N. Washington, DC 20036 Index: The President's remarks, August 12th Monthly Meeting, Two events of interest listed by the Center for Australia and New Zealand Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, DC. - August 4th - Australian Election Preview hosted by CANZ, Georgetown University - August 18th - Symposium - An Adaptive Army for a Complex Peace - the Australian Army Experience

Fellow members, Washington Sub-Branch member William (Bill) Francis Barlow died on Saturday morning May 15, 2010 after a long battle with cancer. Friends are invited to express their condolences at Money and King Funeral Home located at 171 W. Maple Ave., Vienna, VA 22180 on Saturday, May 22nd, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Funeral Services will be held on June 25th, at 11:00 a.m. in the Fort Myer Old Post Chapel, followed by interment at Arlington National Cemetery. The R&SL will be represented at both events (See below for Burial ritual). Bill was proud of his service as a Marine in World War II, when he served the entire duration of the war in the Pacific theater fighting in the battles of Guadalcanal, Okinawa, Peleliu and a number of other strategic fronts. He was wounded several times in combat, convalesced in Australia and returned to service each time with his unit - not wanting to let his comrades down. He earned both a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for meritorious service in acti

Brig. Rod West CSC, President of the R&SL's Washington Sub-Branch, presents the League's Floral Tribute at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at the Korean War Memorial in Washington DC. If anyone has any photos or videos of the ANZAC Day events and would like them posted please e-mail them to me at mmirarchi at juno dot com.

The Rising Spirit of ANZAC -A photographic journey - The great ANZAC tradition grew out of the personal qualities of ordinary men and women who served and sacrificed in the Great War. ANZAC defines what it is to be Australian. Every April 25, generations of Australians pause to honor and remember the sacrifices made by others. The Rising Spirit of ANZAC exhibition by Sharyn Meade records the personal stories of Australian veterans, in words and images, through successive generations. When: From 15 April 2010 Time: 10 am - 2 pm Mon - Fri Where: Gallery @ Embassy of Australia 1601 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

This news letter contains details of both the Monthly Meeting on May 13, 2010, and a photography exhibition at the Embassy of Australia, together with the dates of future meetings. Monthly Meeting-Thursday May 13, 2010 Time: Noon to 2:00 pm. Where –Amenities room Embassy of Australia 1601 Massachusetts Ave Washington DC 20036 Speaker: Dr. Paul Scully-Power, CEO of MIKOH Corporation Limited, and Australia’s first astronaut. Topic: Reflections on Space and Life. Biography: Dr Paul Scully-Power is the Chief Executive Officer of MIKPH Corporation Limited. Dr Paul Scully-Power has extensive international experience and proven success in commercial and government organizations throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. He is an acknowledged leader in applied technology, an innovator and corporate strategist, and is Australia’s first astronaut having flown aboard Challenger on the 13th mission of the Space Shuttle. Dr Scully-Power ha

Remembering the nameless heroes of the Gallipoli Campaign The Birth of Nations Atatürk Society of America With the support of The Embassy of Australia & The Embassy of New Zealand Invite you to a private screening of GALLIPOLI: HISTORY IN THE DEPTHS A film by Savas Karakas On Sunday, April 25, 2010 4-6 PM Copley Hall Georgetown University 3800 Reservoir Road, NW Washington, DC 20007 R.S.V.P. by April 22, 2010 Ataturksociety@earthlink.net 202 285 2979 Refreshments will be served after the movie. Hosted by the Institute of Turkish Studies and Georgetown CERES Program

Returned & Services League of Australia Washington, DC Sub-Branch 1601 Massachusetts Avenue N. Washington, DC 20036 April 2010 News letter This news letter contains details of the Monthly Meeting on April 8, the invitation to attend the Team Australia briefing on April 9, events the ANZAC Day Commemoration , the Little Angels of Korea free concerts for veterans in June, and The R&SL Peace Award to Australians who were in Rwanda. April 9 – Members are invited to attend Team Australia’s Brief followed by a reception at the Embassy of Australia. (See below for further information). June 9-12 – Little Angels of Korea free concerts for US Veterans at the Kennedy Center RSVP (See Below). June 14 – Bakers Creek Commemoration at Fort Myer, VA (Further details will be advised later). R&SL Peace Prize for Australians who served in Rwanda - Were you there? In 1995 the National Branch RSL awarded UNAMIR the ANZAC Peace Prize

Monthly Meeting-Thursday April 8, 2010. Noon to 2:00 pm. Where –Amenities room Embassy of Australia, 1601 Massachusetts, Ave., Washington, DC 20036 Speaker: Major Kurt Lee, USMC retired. Topic: The Korean War and certain sociological aspects involving Chinese Americans in the US military (Includes screening a new documentary which incorporates previously unseen photographs and film of the time). The presentation will take about 60 minutes. You will notice some improvements. Instead of the theatre style layout used previously, you will now sit at a table. And the lunch buffet will be opened before the President opens the meeting. Lunch: $15.00, including sodas. Alcoholic beverages, $2.00 each. Volunteers: As usual, we need a volunteer (or two) to run the bar. R.S.V.P. by noon on Wednesday April 7, to David Ward on 202-352-8550 or via e-mail at dmpward@wwdb.org Parking: There is no parking at the Embassy. There is public parking behind and un

Please contact our Secretary at dmpward at wwdb dot org for a membership form. Membership is $25 per year.

Each year on April 25, the Australian and New Zealand Embassies commemorate ANZAC (Australia New Zealand Army Corps) Day to recognise the sacrifices that Australian and New Zealand soldiers, sailors and airmen and women have made - not only in defending their country, but in upholding their nation's longstanding commitment to peace and security. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War, with the landing at Gallipoli, Turkey. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they soon took in that name endures to this day. For more information on Anzac Day, please visit To mark this special occasion for 2010, the Australian and New Zealand Embassies are co-hosting a program of events to which all are welcome. These events include: The Rising Spirit of ANZAC -A photographic journey The great ANZAC tradition grew o

On February 5, 1915, the hospital ship “Yarra” reached Australia carrying invalided Australian soldiers from Egypt. On that day the history of the Returned Services League of Australia began. As we look back over the years, it is clear that the common bond of comradeship and mutual interest, which later manifested itself in no uncertain manner, had its simple origin in the close association of the mere handful of men who were the first to be affected by the demands of active service. As the war developed, the loss of life, the shedding of blood, the agony of wounds, the privation and discomfort, drew Australia’s sons together in an unbreakable bond of comradeship. From this source of mutual understanding, there came back home to Australia those rendered unfit for further Active Service. As they grew in numbers, there developed a determination to convert an indefinite and undirected desire, which they sensed to be common to them all, into an organized endeavor to continue in some form

We are the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL), Washington, DC sub-branch. The RSL is a group of Australian and American veterans and their friends who meet monthly at the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC