Reflecting on life as a National Serviceman in the Vietnam War has earned a Victorian veteran top honours in the “Life as a Nasho” category of this year’s Story Writing and Art Competition with winning entries announced today by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Warren Snowdon.

The competition, now in its 49th year, provides members of the Victorian veteran community with a creative outlet.

“For many this is a health therapy, and a way to work through the impact of war on their lives,” Mr Snowdon said.

Highly creative entries featured in each of the 18 categories of this year’s competition, from story writing, poetry, painting, textiles and fibre, to glass, ceramics, wood, photography and needlework.

The competition began in 1962 as therapy for returned soldiers at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne and continues to enrich the lives of entrants. This year entries were received from entrants

of all ages, including younger veterans from Afghanistan.

Mr Robert Batten from the Latrobe Valley in Victoria won this year’s special writing category – “Life for a Nasho” with a short story.

“The competition offered the opportunity to tell my story, a story that could relate to all those who served,” he said.

Mr Batten served in Nui Dat, South Vietnam from April 1967 to February 1968. He started writing short stories in the mid-1990s using his war diary as a reference. Mr Batten’s creative writing earned 1st prize of $150 in his category.

More than 240 veterans across Victoria participated in this year’s ompetition. Other category winners are listed on the DVA website www.dva.gov.au

The Australian Government supports the competition in a joint initiative of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Austin Health and Victorian ex-service organisations. 

The Victorian ex-service community is encouraged to enter the 50th anniversary year of the Story Writing and Art Competition in 2012.