Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I have sought the indulgence of the House to make a statement regarding the return to Australia of the remains of an Australian soldier killed in the Vietnam War: Private David Fisher. Private David Fisher was a member of the Special Air Service Regiment in Vietnam. On 27 September 1969 he fell from a rope suspended beneath an RAAF helicopter during an extraction at Nui May Tao in Vietnam. Private Fisher fell into thick jungle and, despite extensive searches, his remains were never recovered. Thirty-nine years after that day, Private Fisher’s remains have now been recovered and are finally being laid to rest with honour and with the dignity befitting a fallen Australian soldier.

I commend to the House the dedicated and selfless work of all Australians who kept alive the hope of recovering Private Fisher, in particular the tireless efforts of Jim Bourke and Operation Aussies Home. Private Fisher’s return follows the recovery of the remains of three other Australian soldiers from the Vietnam War: Lance Corporal Richard Parker, Private Peter Gillson and Lance Corporal John Gillespie. Two Australian airmen—Flying Officer Michael Herbert and Pilot Officer Robert Carver—are still missing in Vietnam, and we hope that in time we may also find the remains of these missing airmen, these brave sons of Australia.

These searches have been the result of great cooperation between the governments of Australia and Vietnam, and I record the gratitude of the Australian government to the government of Vietnam for their assistance during the search for and recovery of our missing diggers. I conveyed that gratitude to the Prime Minister of Vietnam in our discussions here in Canberra this morning. Private Fisher lost his life serving his country. The passage of time does not diminish our great respect for his bravery and his dedication, and his sacrifice will not be forgotten. On behalf of the government and the House, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the family of Private Fisher. I hope that his homecoming will bring some measure of comfort to those who have waited so long for his return to Australia.

See this speech in context