Villanti, David Joseph (Warrant Officer Class II, b.1960)

Collection relating to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) service of 357014 Warrant Officer Class II David Joseph Villanti, Australian Medical Support Force, Rwanda, 1994-1995.

Wallet 1 of 1 - Villanti was an experienced soldier serving in the 1st Field Hospital, Royal Australian Army Medical Corps when he was deployed as company sergeant major of Australia's medical detachment to Rwanda as part of Australia's contribution to UNAMIR. The military medical detachment was the largest to be deployed from Australia since the Vietnam War. While in Rwanda, Villanti received more than 50 letters and drawings from Year 2 and Year 3 students at Saint Margaret's School in Villanti's hometown of Geelong, Victoria. Villanti gave some of the drawings to the Care Australia orphanage in the Rwandan capital of Kigali to help brighten the surroundings. The collection consists of three drawings that Villanti kept. Two drawings feature a child playing basketball, while the third depicts a child outside with butterflies and a bright rainbow.

After 25 years of service, Villanti retired from the Australian Army in 2002 and subsequently embarked on a career as a professional actor in Australian film and television.