Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a great honour to rise today to echo the words of the Prime Minister in honouring those men and women who served their country in the Vietnam War. I was very sad that I was not able to join the Governor-General, Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition at last week's commemoration due to my commitments in the chamber. I would very much have liked to be there to pay my respects to the dedication and sacrifice of those Australians who count themselves among Australian's Vietnam vets, my father-in-law included.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the great work that has been done in the Canberra community by the local RSLs, particularly the RSL in Tuggeranong, Woden Valley RSL and also the Hellenic RSL. I recently addressed the Woden Valley RSL at a special lunch seminar. It was a great honour and I really enjoyed that occasion. So they do great work around the community in supporting the vets from all wars by helping them through difficult times and just keeping them active in the community. They have also been a great help to my father-in-law since my mother-in-law died last year, dropping in to see how he is going and just making sure he is faring well and keeping his spirits up. So I would really like to take the opportunity to thank them very much for their work in the community.

The 18th of August is the day chosen as the date to recognise Vietnam vets because it is the day of the Battle of Long Tan. That battle has come to symbolise Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War in much the same way as the Kokoda Trail symbolises World War II. The story of Long Tan is a compelling one. It is a story that tells of how a handful of men from D Company, 6 Royal Australian Regiment, cut off from support, faced down an opposing force many times larger—perhaps even of regimental strength. They did so in monsoon rain, with withering machine-gun fire and wave after wave of enemy troops. They showed immense courage. It was an impressive feat. I am also impressed by the stories of the helicopter pilots who, on hearing that D Company was running low on ammunition, risked heavy fire to drop boxes of it and blankets for the wounded. I would like to recognise the courage of the relief force from 2 and 3 Troop of the first APC squadron who would not stop at anything, including heavy machine-gun and anti-tank fire to reach their mates and also the members of the 1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery and the US 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery Regiment who provided excellent artillery fire to protect their mates. I understand that A Battery fired a shell every 15 seconds. They did so through the entire engagement, despite exhaustion, because they knew their mates needed help. But with the determination for which Australian soldiers are well renowned and with good training and tactics, they managed to take the day. Eighteen men did not return to base that day, and another 24 were wounded.

Over 500 Australians were killed in the Vietnam War and many, many more were wounded. But they were not just wounded by enemy fire. Many carried the emotional and mental scars that would not heal. It is a sad fact that we have not always recognised the sacrifice of those Australians who served in Vietnam and that their deeds were not given appropriate recognition. All too often individual stories of gallantry and heroism of Vietnam vets are forgotten because of the deep divisions in this country, and indeed the Western world, about the legitimacy of the conflict and Australia's involvement in it. Here it is about not just vets but the families of the vets, and I talk here as the wife of an Army brat. My father-in-law did two tours of Vietnam, leaving behind a family of five children, all under the age of 10, at Woodside Barracks in South Australia. This was the time of the antiwar moratoriums and protests, and my husband, his brothers and sisters and the other Defence kids were vilified at school, as were their mothers whenever they went out to the local shops. There was such antiwar sentiment that even the families copped it, which is really tragic. It seems grossly unfair, given that Mary and the other women were bringing up their families on their own while their husbands were at war.

I take this opportunity, too, to acknowledge the work of the families, mainly women, who are left behind when their loved ones are deployed to war. Yesterday I attended the launch of the Defence Community Organisation initiative FamilySMART with Minister Snowdon. It is a series of programs designed to help partners of ADF members identify strategies and support that will help build their resilience through the life cycle of military careers and beyond. As you know, Madam Deputy Speaker, the women and men who are left behind with little children do it tough. I was talking to the wife of someone who has just come back from Afghanistan and she told me that, though it was difficult when her husband was away because of worrying about him and wondering whether he would be okay, the wives, husbands and children who are left behind get into a bit of a rhythm. She said it was actually the predeployment that was the most stressful period. There was a lot of tension and anxiety about him actually going, and that was the most difficult time for her. I found that most interesting.

It is so important that organisations like the Defence Community Organisation and Defence Families Australia are there to help those who are behind as well as the troops who come back. They provide a fantastic support network of friendship, assistance and community, because quite often these families are isolated in barracks that are away from capital cities. I applaud the FamilySMART initiative and the work of the Defence Community Organisation and Defence Families Australia.

Going back to Long Tan Day, I know that feelings at the time of the Vietnam War were exceptionally strong, but now we must put aside our opinions on the virtues or otherwise of the Vietnam War to honour those Australians who did serve the nation overseas, regardless of how we feel about the validity of their mission. They were not responsible for the decision to go; they were just the ones tasked with carrying it out. They did so with honour and courage and they risked much. I add my voice to those honouring their service today. Lest we forget.

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