Byron Bay to honour Middle East veterans

THE Byron Bay RSL Sub-Branch will hold its second Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) Remembrance Day commemoration on Friday July 11.

The service will be held at Byron Bay Cenotaph, at the entrance to Byron Bay Recreation Grounds, at 11am.

MEAO Remembrance Day, also known as MEAO Day, is observed to honour the service and sacrifice of Australian Defence Force personnel and civilians who served in operations across the Middle East, including Afghanistan and Iraq.

The date marks the withdrawal of Australian troops from Afghanistan in 2021, bringing to a close Australia’s longest military engagement.

The conflicts, which followed the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, resulted in the loss of 41 Australian lives in Afghanistan and two in Iraq.

Byron Bay RSL Sub-Branch vice-president Jim Rogers said last year’s inaugural event — held in collaboration with the Veterans Motorcycle Club and Mullumbimby RSL — was a great success and will now become a regular fixture in the local commemorative calendar.

Mr Rogers described the event as a scaled-down version of Anzac Day, emphasising the importance of recognising Middle East veterans, many of whom suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“In a way I think they feel like they’re forgotten,” he said. “That happened with Vietnam veterans when they came back too. Quite a few years ago they decided to have a Vietnam Veterans’ Day on August 18 and that was quite successful, and now they’ve decided to have a separate one for Middle East veterans. There were two separate wars and they didn’t involve conscription, like World War II and the Vietnam War did.”

Following the service, attendees are invited to gather for lunch at the Byron Bay Services Club, with service personnel wearing medals eligible for a free meal.