Bourail Memorial New Zealand War Cemetery, Bourail, New Caledonia

13 JUNE 2005

VANZ announces Ballot for VJ Day Commemorations in the Pacific

Veterans' Affairs New Zealand (VANZ) has announced that there will be a veteran contingent travelling to the Pacific to commemorate the 60th anniversary of VJ Day. This contingent will be chosen by ballot.

In order to be eligible for the ballot, you need to have served as a member of the New Zealand Armed Forces in the Pacific Campaign, in one of the following:

• The New Zealand Navy, Army or Air Force; or
• The New Zealand Merchant Navy; or
• As Coastwatchers in the Pacific.

In order to enter the ballot please complete a ballot application form and send it to:

VJ Day Ballot
Veterans' Affairs New Zealand
PO Box 5146
Wellington

Applications for the ballot will be accepted up until 5pm Thursday, 30 June 2005.

An Application Form is available here for you to download:

VJ Ballot Application
[48K Word Document]

VJ Ballot Application Form
(37K PDF Document)

The trip will be quite arduous. Veterans applying for the ballot will need to be physically fit, and must be able to cope with the demands of a very humid and tropical climate.

In order to ensure that veterans drawn from the ballot are able to withstand the rigours of the journey they will be required to have a medical clearance questionnaire completed by their GP. The information provided on the medical clearance questionnaire will be reviewed by a New Zealand Defence Force doctor who will make the decision on medical clearance to travel on the RNZAF aircraft.

The veterans drawn from the ballot must be in possession of a current passport. Any necessary visas will be arranged by Veterans' Affairs New Zealand.

Information

• There will be no charge for travel to the Commemoration.
• Cost of travel in New Zealand from home to point of departure, and from point of arrival in New Zealand to home will be at the expense of Veterans' Affairs New Zealand.
• Accommodation will be at the expense of Veterans' Affairs New Zealand.

Further details of the ballot can be obtained by calling the VANZ free phone number 0800 483 8372 or at the Veterans Affairs website www.veteransaffairs.mil.nz.

In Brief
VJ Ballot Application Form available here to download:

VJ Ballot Application
[48K Word Document]

VJ Ballot Application Form
(37K PDF Document)

Please return form to:

VJ Day Ballot
Veteran Affairs' New Zealand
PO Box 5146
Wellington

Applications for the ballot will be accepted up until 5pm Thursday 30 June 2005.