Legacy enters digital era with MP3 badge

From the Herald Sun: Legacy enters digital era with MP3 badge
VICKIE Barnes was just nine-years-old when her dad was killed in 1969 while fighting in the Vietnam War.

One of seven siblings who benefited from services provided by Legacy, she now looks after other children and widows of deceased war veterans.

"Legacy changed our lives. When dad was killed, a lot of people wanted to help," she said in Sydney today.

Her mother was too proud to accept some of the help, but she allowed Legacy to arrange school holidays for her children.

One of the trips involved flying to Griffith, in south-western NSW, Vickie recalls.

"It was a farm stay. I stayed with a beautiful family who had one daughter and four sons. And now, forty years later, they are still in my life," she said.

As part of an attempt by Legacy to keep up with digital times, an MP3 "button badge" will be offered to raise money during Legacy week in 2011.

At $15 each, the badge is the first of its kind in Australia, and features five songs by Australian artists.

Legacy Australia chairman Charles Wright conceded some older veterans wouldn't even know what an MP3 was, but knew the concept would be a winner among other groups.

"Once we told some of our younger staff and widows that we were bringing this type of concept on board they said 'Wow, this is fantastic! Can you get me one?'" he said.

A limited edition of 5000 of the badges will be sold in 2011.

Vickie was given the honour of choosing one of the songs, a remake of Red Gums' 1983 track, I was Only Nineteen, by hip-hop band The Herd.

"It reminds me of my father," she said.

Others include tracks by Jimmy Barnes (no relation to Vickie), Powderfinger, Boy & Bear and Art v's Science.

More than 50,000 Australian soldiers have served in Afghanistan and Iraq in the past decade, just 5000 less than the number who served in the Vietnam War, Mr Wright said.

The Afghanistan and Iraq wars have created 29 widows and 2000 returned soldiers were left with injuries, most of which are psychological.

"Most have post traumatic stress syndrome," Mr Wright said.

Legacy week begins on August 29.