Surprise gift leaves Aboriginal war veteran 'pleased as bloody punch'

Victor Bartley returned from the Vietnam War in 1971, but had to wait 16 years to receive an official welcome home.

Since then, the Wiradjuri man has received war medals and an OAM.

But most recently, 55 years after returning home, he was recognised for his six years of service in the Australian Army with a handmade quilt.

"I'm so proud. Pleased as bloody punch," Mr Bartley said.

"It was such a surprise for someone to give me something with such meaning.

"I'm not one to say I was a hero or anything like that in my service in Vietnam, but someone thought that I deserved to get something like that."

Mr Bartley was one of three veterans living in the western NSW town of Bourke who were given quilts from charity Quilts of Valour Australia.

The quilts are designed to offer comfort and recognition of the sacrifice of Australian Defence Force personnel and the families who have lost loved ones in service.

Anyone can nominate a veteran or serving ADF personnel to receive one.

"My wife has put it on the lounge so anyone who comes to visit will see it," Mr Bartley said.

"I just marvel at the work these people have done."

Mr Bartley was 20 when Aboriginal people were finally recognised as Australian citizens and had to lie about his Aboriginal heritage to get into the army, indicating his nationality was British.

He turns 79 next month.

"To me, this recognition means that we still have a good country, we still have good people who want to thank you for your service,"

he said.

Laticia Hollman is a volunteer from Queensland who hand-delivered the pieces to western, NSW.

"Every quilt is different — there's never one the same," she said.

"We see everything from tears of joy to thanks, especially Vietnam veterans. They didn't get a very good response coming home and some of the vets when I have awarded them a quilt they are like, 'Wow, this is the only thanks I've ever had' and they are just overwhelmed."

Mr Bartley said he has always tried to focus on the people who celebrated Vietnam veterans.

"We appreciated the people who mattered," he said.

"They appreciated that we went to serve our country overseas because our country sent us."

Surprise over a cup of tea

Ms Hollman works with family members to create a surprise for each recipient.

"A quilt is a powerful gift of love," she said.

"When we are organising the delivery of the quilts, we try to do it so it's a secret, so we get a really good surprise response."

Sheila Lowe also received a quilt on behalf of her late husband Keith's service, and former RAAF medic Kelly Lienesch was a recipient as well.

Quilts of Valour Australia was started more than a decade ago following the loss and injury of Defence personnel in Afghanistan in 2010.

"We have representatives of Quilts of Valour in every state in Australia," Ms Hollman said.

"Anyone can make quilts or donate to them."

The charity also operates in the US and Canada.

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