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16-SCHEYVILLIAN-BOOK REVIEW OF DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN 201026
A Successful Life Bill Frost
From: Bill Frost [winjeel200@gmail.com]
Sent: 9-18-20 3:04 PM
To: brianv@bigpond.com
Subject: A Successful Life
G’day Brian
Have just finished your book “Down from the Mountain” and applaud your effort in recording an accurate picture of Scheyville, Vietnam, Canungra and the general social structure of the 60’s and 70’s era. I clearly remember you from Scheyville even though you were in A class and I was in D class. I don’t even remember ever having spoken to you so perhaps it was your height at 6 ft plus whereas I barely made 5ft 7. I was a teacher caught up by NS who was selected for flying training in return for signing on and was graduated 3 weeks early to head off to Pt Cook along with Don Moffatt, Phil Stevens, Peter Muir, Dave Gerard and Kevin Williams. I’ve never regretted missing out on the final field exercise at Singleton mid Winter.
Got my wings mid 67 and over next year worked Shoalwater, Holsworthy and mapping the Kimberley until I did my Battle Efficiency course at Puckapunyal in Aug68 before heading to 161 Recce Flt in Sep 68. Flew Alby Morrison round on a number of occasions and certainly did my share of supporting 9 RAR out of various FSP’s. Well remember the one in open country just east of Long Hai’s as I watched a B52 strike along the mountain ridge and was where I listened to the Moon landing. Came back in Sep 69 and spent 6 months on various military exercises which after SVN I found boring. Fortunately I was posted to Lae PNG as flight commander RW and fell in love with flying again after my first early morning trip across New Guinea Highlands at 12,000 feet. Realised after 12 months of this I loved living in the bush, flying in the mountains and that I had successfully avoided nearly all military and social functions by careful arrangement of the roster. So…. it was easy to take my discharge and spend the next 15 years flying commercially in Indonesia (esp Irian), Abu Dhabi and of course remote Australian locations. At 43 I felt ready for marriage and settled down here on 150 acres in the hills east of Tumut. After siring a son and daughter I realised the need for more income so spent the next 20 years as a language and woodwork teacher in a local high school. Effectively I have gone “Up the Mountain” where I shall remain. Retired 13 years I am never bored with farm maintenance, reading, watching and listening utilising the space when not outside. The internet (even if on satellite) has revolutionised living in the bush and made isolation a distant memory. Like yourself I have had a very fortunate life and have done my best to reach for every opportunity offered.
I found it very easy to empathise with your progress through life and praise your achievements which are impressive considering you started out with an Intermediate Certificate. You record a number of personal feelings along the way and this too is praiseworthy as a lot of males of our generation show great difficulty in placing their personal thought on show. I have recorded 15 pages of reflections on a 5 year military career for a project Don Moffatt is organising and can send you a copy if interested. I have given little thought to army life since discharge and rarely think back to my year in Vietnam. My war was easy and comfortable in comparison to yours but I think I developed insights which have stayed with me and gained invaluable flying experience for later years. National Service was all positives for me in the opportunities it offered and you have very successfully followed a similar path.
Take Care
Bill Frost
P.O. Box 88
Tumut. 2720
winjeel200@gmail.com