A PIECE of modern history has been added to the Bendigo Military Museum.
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The original banner of the Post 1975 Veterans Central Victoria - now named the Central Victorian Veterans - was given to the museum on Saturday.
Founded 10 years ago, Central Victorian Veterans are a small support group for veterans that formed in an effort to give modern-day veterans a banner to march under.
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The Post 1975 Veterans renamed themselves the Central Victorian Veterans in 2021 to be more inclusive. They have more than 100 members and are still growing.
The original Post 1975 Veterans banner will be displayed in the Bendigo Military Museum.
Glenn Ludeman, who was the founding secretary of the Post 1975 Veterans, said the group formed after it was noticed some veterans felt they we unable to march in Anzac Day and other commemorative events because there was no banner for them.
"They didn't know where to fit in," he said. "There was people standing at the side of the parade going, 'where do we go?'. That initiated the Post 75 veterans (in 2011).
"The original mooting point was this - we welcome, and still do, all veterans regardless of their tenure of service.
"A lot of people came out of the woodwork and that then started the movement. From that movement in March of that year, a number of us got together and started the official part of the group.
""We spoke with the RSL at length on how we're going to do this. We met with the Vietnam Veterans Association sub branch in Bendigo to see what they've gone through to create an autonomous group separate to the RSL. Not that we wanted to do that, we are supported by the RSL but we wanted to be supported by the Vietnam Veterans and others."
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Mr Ludeman said the group was focused on the themes of respect, service and loyalty. He said there was still work to be done to ensure all vetrerans feel included in commemorative events.
"Respect, service and loyalty was the trigram of what we're about," he said. "If there was ever a point of discussion that didn't reach relevance - if it didn't take on respect, service or loyalty - we move on to the next agenda item."
"I was at the shrine (in Melbourne on Friday) and couldn't help but notice that they need something like that there.
"We need to be positive. We need to pitch forward with what we found with those three common threads that held us up for the best part of 10 years in hope it carries forward."
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