#138 Rod Henderson

Angus Hordern interviews Army Aviation veteran Rod Henderson.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Rod Henderson is an Australian Army veteran. He has served as an infantryman and in Army Aviation, working with Black Hawks and Chinooks, including as a door gunner. Rod has deployed on warlike and humanitarian operations to Timor, Pakistan, New Guinea and Afghanistan. He’s now a volunteer guide at the Australian War Memorial. 

This episode was edited by Sophie Hu.

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• #2 Sharon Bown

• Australia's Special Forces with Dr Karl James

• The Eastern Front with David Sutton

• Beyond the Legend with Dr Karl James

• Remembering John Hordern with Angus Hordern

• #68 Harry Moffitt Vol II

Life After Service: Don Barnby

Former SAS trooper and Australian Federal Police officer Don Barnby is the third veteran featured in our Life After Service series.

Don served in the Vietnam war as a special forces soldier, and at Cyprus, Bougainville and East Timor with the AFP.

On a volunteer basis, Don has also been interviewing veterans for the Australian War Memorial.

Watch the episode on YouTube above, or listen to the audio-only version below.

** If you are struggling with any of the topics raised in this video, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Open Arms on 1800 011 046.

Military in the Media with Siobhan Heanue

Alex Lloyd speaks with ABC journalist Siobhan Heanue about the relationship between the military, the media and the public. 

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Siobhan Heanue is an ABC journalist based in Townsville for ABC North Queensland. She was previously the ABC’s South Asia correspondent, where she reported from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal. She reported from Iraq in the lead-up to the Battle for Mosul in 2016, has covered terrorist attacks and humanitarian crises in East Africa, and repeatedly embedded with the Australian Defence Force. In the 200th episode of Life on the Line, Alex Lloyd spoke with Siobhan about her career in journalism, the media and public access to the ADF in the 21st century, and the relationship between the media, the military and the public in the wake of current stories being reported on alleged war crimes. 

Teddy Sheean VC with Dr Brendan Nelson VC

Angus Hordern speaks with Dr Brendan Nelson about Australia’s 101st Victoria Cross recipient, Teddy Sheean VC.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Teddy Sheean received the Victoria Cross posthumously for his heroism during the sinking of HMAS Armidale on 1 December 1942. Seventy-eight years later, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II approved the award on 12 August 2020.

Dr Brendan Nelson, former Minister for Defence in the Howard Government and Director of the Australian War Memorial 2012-19, chaired the 2020 expert panel that reviewed Teddy’s case. His panel’s recommendation for Teddy to receive the VC was the last domino for this award finally being bestowed. In Dr Nelson’s second appearance on the podcast, he told Angus Hordern the story of Teddy Sheean, and exactly how his posthumous VC came about. Teddy’s story is extraordinary in its own right, as is the story of how his VC took so long to be approved, and what finally changed.

Thistle Productions have worked with Dr Nelson before. Angus Hordern interviewed him in our five-part DVD documentary series, For School and Country. On this podcast he appeared back in Season 1, 2017, when he spoke to me about his career, the Australian War Memorial and the topic of Remembrance Day, in Remembrance Day with Dr Brendan Nelson. 

The Great Navy's War with Dr David Stevens

Angus Hordern speaks with Dr David Stevens about Australia's naval war in World War I.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Today's bonus episode is with Royal Australian Navy veteran Dr David Stevens, who is currently an Official Historian at the Australian War Memorial. Angus Hordern spoke with David about his own military career, and the history of Australia's naval war in World War I.

#50 Alastair Bridges

Alex Lloyd interviews Vietnam veteran Alastair Bridges.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. This conversation is with a pilot of the Royal Australian Air Force, who flew in Vietnam. Alastair Bridges spoke to Alex Lloyd about his parents' World War II memories, his own military career, his time in Vietnam, and how those experiences have shaped his life today.

Replay - Remembrance Day with Dr Brendan Nelson

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. This is a re-release of the 10 November 2017 bonus episode to mark Remembrance Day and to talk about this very special day of reflection and commemoration.

Alex Lloyd spoke with the Honourable Dr Brendan Nelson, Director of the Australian War Memorial. Dr Nelson has a long and distinguished career in public service. Just to name a few prominent positions, Dr Nelson was the Federal President of the Australian Medical Association before serving as the Federal Member for Bradfield from 1996 to 2009, where one of his portfolios was Minister for Defence. After a key ambassadorial role, Dr Nelson was appointed as Director of the Australian War Memorial in 2012.

Dr Brendan Nelson participated in and launched Thistle Productions' documentary miniseries FOR SCHOOL AND COUNTRY in 2015.

Korean War MIA with Michael Kelly

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. In Season 2, Angus Hordern spoke to Australian War Memorial historian Michael Kelly about Australia's involvement in the Korean War. In this podcast, Michael caught up with Alex Lloyd to give an update on the developing situation in regards to recovering Australian missing in action from that conflict.

The Korean War with Michael Kelly

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Every week we also have a bonus episode, where we speak to historians, authors and others in the veterans community. Today's bonus episode is with Australian War Memorial historian Michael Kelly. He spoke about Australia's forgotten war - Korea.

Michael returned to the podcast for a follow-up chat on the Korean War in Korean War MIA with Michael Kelly, and again in the episode Panel - Australian Infantry Against the Odds.

For School and Country with Thistle Productions

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Every week we also have a bonus episode, where we speak to historians, authors and others in the veterans community. Today's bonus episode is with the makers of this podcast, Thistle Productions. The original crew of Angus Hordern, Alex Lloyd, Thomas Kaye and Rohan Viswalingam reflect on their first veterans project, the documentary miniseries FOR SCHOOL AND COUNTRY, and how the team became so invested in telling veterans' stories.

Beyond the Legend with Dr Karl James

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Every week we also have a bonus episode, where we speak to historians, authors and others in the veterans community. Today's bonus episode is with Dr Karl James, senior historian at the Australian War Memorial. Dr Karl spoke to Alex Lloyd about the enduring resonances of Gallipoli and Kokoda to Australians, going beyond the Anzac legends.

Dr Karl James spoke with Thomas Kaye in Season 1, about Australia's Special Forces.

Australia in Afghanistan with Dr Rhys Crawley

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Every week we also have a bonus episode, where we speak to historians, authors and others in the veterans community. Dr Rhys Crawley is an historian at the Australian War Memorial. Rhys is writing for the Official History of Australian Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor. Alex Lloyd spoke with Rhys about Australia’s longest war – the modern conflict in Afghanistan.

#18 Don Barnby Vol II

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Today's episode is the second instalment of the conversation with Don Barnby, an SAS trooper and Australian Federal Police officer. Don served in the Vietnam war as a special forces soldier, and at Cyprus, Bougainville and East Timor with the AFP. He has also interviewed veterans for the Australian War Memorial.

Click here to listen to Volume I, before you hear this episode.

Don returned to the podcast in the special episode Panel - Life After Service, and again in Christmas on the Line. He was then featured in the video documentary episode Life After Service - Don Barnby.

Remembrance Day with Dr Brendan Nelson

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Most weeks we also have a bonus episode, where we speak to historians, authors and others in the veterans community. Tomorrow is Remembrance Day and to talk about this very special day of reflection and commemoration, Alex Lloyd spoke with a very special guest. The Honourable Dr Brendan Nelson has a long and distinguished career in public service. Just to name a few prominent positions, Dr Nelson was the Federal President of the Australian Medical Association before serving as the Federal Member for Bradfield from 1996 to 2009, where one of his portfolios in the Howard government was Minister for Defence. After a key ambassadorial role, Dr Nelson was appointed as Director of the Australian War Memorial in 2012.

Australia's Special Forces with Dr Karl James

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Most weeks we also have a bonus episode, where we speak to historians, authors and others in the veterans community. Today's bonus episode is with Dr Karl James, senior historian at the Australian War Memorial. Dr Karl has an exhibit coming up on the history of Australia’s Special Forces - SAS and Commandos - and spoke to us about the history of our nation’s elite soldiers.

Dr Karl James spoke again with Life on the Line about the ANZAC legend, Gallipoli and Kokoda.

#2 Sharon Bown

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. This conversation is with East Timor and Afghanistan veteran, Sharon Bown, formerly of the Royal Australian Air Force, a registered nurse, and now an author and member of the Australian War Memorial Council. In the words of Mark Donaldson VC, "Sharon’s story is one that is rarely heard. One of compassion, commitment and courage."

Sharon returned to the podcast in the special 2018 episode Panel - Life After Service.