At Dad’s 60th birthday party Saturday he and his 11 siblings were together for the first time in 15 to 20 years (nobody is certain when the last occasion was).

In February 1971 when Dad arrived at Adelaide Airport from serving in Vietnam 10 of his siblings were there to meet him and their photo was on the front page of The Advertiser. To commemorate the reunion, a photographer from the paper took photos at the party Saturday. However, as the story has not been published by the ‘Tiser, I will publish it myself.

Following is the February 1971 picture and accompanying article entitled Family Affair:

The text reads:

National Serviceman Gunner K. E. Taheny, 22, of Edithburgh, Yorke Peninsula, arrived home from Vietnam on leave yesterday to a family greeting that more closely resembled a massed military operation. Gathered to meet him at Adelaide Airport were 10 of his 11 brothers and sisters, aged between four and 20. Pictured advancing in formation at the airport are, from left, Damien, 6, Veronica, 9, Elizabeth, 11, Therese, 15, Francis, 20, Gunner Taheny, Josephine, 17, Catherine, 14, Mary, 13, Eugene, 8, and Maria, 4, all from Edithburgh. Gunner Taheny, who has only a few weeks to serve, said he had been in Vietnam for 12 months, mainly at Nui Dat with the 106 Battery of the 4th Field Regiment. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. E. D. Taheny, of Edithburgh.

A footnote: the only sibling missing in the photo above was Bernadette, whose boss would not let her take the day off work. I bet he regretted his decision after seeing the story on the front page the next day!

Here are the 12 some 37&1/2 years later:

Hopefully the next time they all get together will be reasonably soon.