Vietnam War Veteran Melvin ‘Mel’ Tilley is remembered fondly in the Limestone Coast for helping other veterans and their widows for more than 25 years by founding the South East Veteran Information Centre.
Mr Tilley was born on June 2, 1944 and unfortunately passed away this year on June 11, mere days after celebrating his 78th birthday.
In 1963, he left England for Australia at 19 years old with nothing more than the clothes on his back.
He joined the Australian Army in August 1965 in a decision that would ultimately serve to impact him and countless others he touched, for the rest of his life.
Mr Tilley undertook recruit training for three months in Kapooka, NSW as part of the Australian Royal Army Ordnance Corp before completing core training at Bandiana, Victoria as part of the Bandiana 1 Compord Company, before his two tours of Vietnam in 1966-1967 and 1969-1970.
He was first posted at Bien Hoa in Vietnam before moving to his second posting Vung Tau where he remained until the end of his first tour. He spent the remaining 13 months at Nui Dat before returning to Australia.
Following his return, Mr Tilley continued to work for the Australian Army as a staff sergeant at supply stores in various cities around the country until he left the army in 1984 after an honourable 20 years of service.
Following his departure from the army, Mr Tilley and his family relocated to Mount Gambier where he became involved assisting veterans with their pensions.
He converted his office at the Mount Gambier RSL into the South East Veterans Information Centre (SEVIC) where he worked as a pension officer.
Mr Tilley even started a weekly coffee morning at the Mount Gambier RSL for veterans which still runs to this day and attracts groups of up to 20 ex-service men and women.
Melvin’s brother Frank Tilley, who served with him for six years in the Australian Army, said the coffee morning initiative was a life-changer for local veterans such as himself.
“It gave us the chance to talk to other veterans and share our issues with people who had experienced the same problems,” he said.
“It made us feel less alone.
“Melvin was out to help everybody even when he was under ill health, it was just the kind of person he was.
“He started SEVIC because he knew from personal experience how hard it was to apply for a pension as a veteran and he wanted to help others with the process.”
Mr Tilley was awarded an Australia Day Council Medallion in recognition of his ongoing involvement providing support and counselling throughout the formation of SEVIC.
He became an Australian Citizen in 2007 and spent a total of 26 years helping veterans and widows both locally and interstate.
