It is the silent tears behind the smiles that give away a hidden pain every Anzac Day.
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While the rest of Wagga imagines and commemorates the sacrifice of military men and women, it is a very real for those who earned the medals they bear.
But these stories often remain untold and residents remain blissfully unaware of the “anguish in soldier’s souls”.
This lack of understanding can make it hard to seek help, according to Peter Robinson, who said it was easy to believe no one understood.
It is the reason Mr Robinson and fellow ex-military advocates made it their mission to create an easy “first step” to accessing support.
“There’s lots of groups and organisations out there,” Mr Robinson said.
“The thing is, they need to come together.”
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After almost a year of organising and planning, the – yet to be officially named –veterans initiative was this month launched in Wagga.
It is a one-stop-shop for ex-military men and women, who can walk into Like Mind on Baylis Street and access a range of health services and community-based support then and there.
The initiative was a result of a collaboration between LikeMind Wagga, Amaranth, Centrelink and the Vietnam Veterans' Counselling Service.
Mr Robinson said he and fellow coordinators, Jason Frost and Anna Sutcliffe had long battled their own “internal demons” and said for many, leaving the Australian Defence Force felt like your family had “kicked you out”.
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“We’re making it easier to access the services you need to get through that rut,” Ms Sutcliffe said. “It’s not an easy thing to do.”
As a result of the fresh collaboration, the region’s ex-military community can walk into one building and find support across a range of health, housing, employment, mental health and physical health needs.
“This is just the start,” Ms Sutcliffe said. “We want people to know it’s out there.”
Amaranth founder and long-time sociologist Julianne Whyte said the team had looked at “how to make support easier for ex-military men and women”.
“It’s not just about mental health,” Ms Whyte said. “It’s looking at all the different kinds of support people need to cope.”
Ms Whyte said anyone could walk in to either Amaranth or LikeMind and feel supported and understood.
