Vietnam War Veteran needs your help
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On Tuesday the 18th of April we lost a Vietnam veteran.
His name was Graham "Bill" Ashby.
Bill was a good man. As good as they come. We never thought we would see the day but today I say goodbye to my best friend and the father figure I never had.
Bill fought for his country and the South Vietnamese people in the Vietnam war. He sacrificed the best years of his life for our military, even being affected by and suffering from the contact of agent orange.
Bill went through a lot of psychological trauma witnessing what the Vietnamese people went through at the hands of the greatest military force in the world. Those images haunted him for the rest of his life. Even if he didnt want to admit it he knew it. The only way he could reconcile with what he witnessed in the past was to travel back to the nation of Vietnam, and dedicate his life to helping those people who he had once fought against.
He built houses, shops and drainage systems for the rural villages and families. He loved the Vietnamese people and they loved him back in return.
The story of Bills passing is as tragic as they come. Bill and his wife Suzie were on their way back to Vietnam for their annual trip to visit the villages and people they loved. It was on this flight that Bill suffered a stroke. He was rushed to the hospital from the airport where he layed in a coma for 2 days. As soon as our family got the phone call we had to book the first flights to Vietnam to try and save our Grandpa. Unfortunately the flights and transfers took too long and in the end, Bill passed away while we were on the plane to get him.
Unfortunately, while we were on the way flying to Vietnam my Grandmother Suzie was robbed and stripped of all her jewelery. Including her and Bill's wedding and engagement rings.
Once we got there the family was in both shock and dissaray. We were stuck in a foreign country in which we did not speak their language or have any sense of direction in the busy streets. Our only chance of getting Bill back to Australia was through the corrupt communist government of Vietnam.
As a family we have sent ourselves broke fulfilling Bill's dying wish of being buried on his home soil.
He went to sleep every night knowing that he was in the hands of his country and government and he knew that they would look after him as he had looked after all of us during his military career. That is of course- until they let him and his family down in the end. Bill had always thought that because he had served in the military he was entitled to a military funeral and burial from the government as most governments do for their veterans. Unfortunately, the sleazy government officials have found a way out of providing this for him and his family.
Because Bill died in Vietnam (where he fought anyway) they want our family to pay for everything. This is an absolutely disgusting way to treat our veterans. To add salt to our already deep wounds the government sent police and raided our house. They flipped it upside down and it was a traumatic experience for us all. Especially my grandmother who could not understand why these men were taking away all of her husbands collectable items. The same items that she would rememeber him by. Gone.
Our family is in shatters. Our house flipped upside down. Our wallets and bank accounts drained and now we have to organise a funeral.
We will have to spend a total of $100K out of our own pockets. I've only set up this fund as a way to help our family get back on our feet after this and to tell the story and let everyone know how our goverment treats it's veterans.
Bill was denied a pension (both civilian and military)
His wife is being denied a widow pension.
His family is being denied any help what so ever in helping plan or pay for any expenses.
We have been let down by our government and we are seeking assistance from who ever is able to provide.
I will be trying to get this story on the news if anybody can help with that my email is [email redacted].au
His name was Graham "Bill" Ashby.
Bill was a good man. As good as they come. We never thought we would see the day but today I say goodbye to my best friend and the father figure I never had.
Bill fought for his country and the South Vietnamese people in the Vietnam war. He sacrificed the best years of his life for our military, even being affected by and suffering from the contact of agent orange.
Bill went through a lot of psychological trauma witnessing what the Vietnamese people went through at the hands of the greatest military force in the world. Those images haunted him for the rest of his life. Even if he didnt want to admit it he knew it. The only way he could reconcile with what he witnessed in the past was to travel back to the nation of Vietnam, and dedicate his life to helping those people who he had once fought against.
He built houses, shops and drainage systems for the rural villages and families. He loved the Vietnamese people and they loved him back in return.
The story of Bills passing is as tragic as they come. Bill and his wife Suzie were on their way back to Vietnam for their annual trip to visit the villages and people they loved. It was on this flight that Bill suffered a stroke. He was rushed to the hospital from the airport where he layed in a coma for 2 days. As soon as our family got the phone call we had to book the first flights to Vietnam to try and save our Grandpa. Unfortunately the flights and transfers took too long and in the end, Bill passed away while we were on the plane to get him.
Unfortunately, while we were on the way flying to Vietnam my Grandmother Suzie was robbed and stripped of all her jewelery. Including her and Bill's wedding and engagement rings.
Once we got there the family was in both shock and dissaray. We were stuck in a foreign country in which we did not speak their language or have any sense of direction in the busy streets. Our only chance of getting Bill back to Australia was through the corrupt communist government of Vietnam.
As a family we have sent ourselves broke fulfilling Bill's dying wish of being buried on his home soil.
He went to sleep every night knowing that he was in the hands of his country and government and he knew that they would look after him as he had looked after all of us during his military career. That is of course- until they let him and his family down in the end. Bill had always thought that because he had served in the military he was entitled to a military funeral and burial from the government as most governments do for their veterans. Unfortunately, the sleazy government officials have found a way out of providing this for him and his family.
Because Bill died in Vietnam (where he fought anyway) they want our family to pay for everything. This is an absolutely disgusting way to treat our veterans. To add salt to our already deep wounds the government sent police and raided our house. They flipped it upside down and it was a traumatic experience for us all. Especially my grandmother who could not understand why these men were taking away all of her husbands collectable items. The same items that she would rememeber him by. Gone.
Our family is in shatters. Our house flipped upside down. Our wallets and bank accounts drained and now we have to organise a funeral.
We will have to spend a total of $100K out of our own pockets. I've only set up this fund as a way to help our family get back on our feet after this and to tell the story and let everyone know how our goverment treats it's veterans.
Bill was denied a pension (both civilian and military)
His wife is being denied a widow pension.
His family is being denied any help what so ever in helping plan or pay for any expenses.
We have been let down by our government and we are seeking assistance from who ever is able to provide.
I will be trying to get this story on the news if anybody can help with that my email is [email redacted].au
Organizer
Max Luxton
Organizer
Broadbeach Waters QLD
