City’s bravest Dragon
Former Digger’s Vietnam War affinity with Red V
BILL Mason might be the bravest man to wear the St George Illawarra Dragons’ crest.
The honorary life member of the club will be one of those attending Sunday’s NRL clash against the Gold Coast Titans in Toowoomba with a closer relationship to the Dragons.
In 1968, while deployed during the Vietnam War, he and his mates in the Third Cavalry Regiment wrote to then club secretary-treasurer Frank Facer with big hopes.
The regiment asked to paint the St George badge on its tanks and use its crest on their uniforms.
“We wanted to try and give people a symbol of something that would keep us together,” Mr Mason said.
“There were a few of us, me included, who had always been St George supporters and at that time they had won 11 premierships.
“We were only a small unit and we believed we were kicking more goals than some of the bigger units and we thought it would be ideal if we painted (the St George badge) on our armoured personnel vehicles.”
Frank Facer, humbled by the request, sent 56 badges to the unit.
The gesture only strengthened Mr Mason’s love for the club and set a fire in the belly of the Dragon from Oakey while in Vietnam.
However, Mr Mason’s military service was cut short when a landmine blew the tank he was travelling in apart.
The then 21-year-old Sergeant Commander was thrown 63 feet from the vehicle, sustaining a broken diaphragm and serious burns to his legs, torso and face.
Mr Mason was named a honorary life member of the club upon his return to Australia, and today boasts a room full of Dragons memorabilia.
Shirts, gnomes, silk pyjamas - you name it.
But his most prized possession is the badge he returned from Vietnam with.
The Dragons are currently flying high at the top of the NRL ladder, and when asked for a score prediction for Sunday’s game, Mr Mason is confident in his response.
“St George of course, and by a big margin,” he said