A Vietnam War veteran riding from Hanoi to Sydney to raise awareness for veteran suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder stopped in Ballarat on Tuesday.
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Laurie Sams, 67, left from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam on May 12 and will present an Australian flag to the Australian War Memorial on Remembrance Day, November 11, before riding to Sydney to complete his journey.
Mr Sams, who lost a leg in a parachuting accident in the Vietnam War, said his own experience with PTSD had inspired him to raise awareness. “When I came home from Vietnam 45 years ago - and I’m not blaming the government - the guys with PTSD just weren’t cared for,” he said.
“There’s been more Vietnam veterans commit suicide than what was killed in the war there, and I just don’t want to see the same thing happening with our young veterans.”
After he learned to walk with his prosthetic leg, Mr Sams led two treks through Thailand and completed multiple charity bike rides throughout Asia.
