Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I have another statement on indulgence, Mr Speaker. Earlier today, many members attended a service to mark Vietnam Veterans Day. As the House would know, over 60,000 Australians—Army, Air Force and Navy personnel—served in Vietnam: 521 died, over 3,000 were wounded and many suffered unseen scars that have never healed. This year marks a half century since the first contingent of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment departed, and today marks the 49th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.

Courage, determination, resourcefulness and unflinching loyalty to mates marked the Australian experience in Vietnam. At Long Tan, at Fire Support Base Coral, at Fire Support Base Balmoral, at Binh Ba and in countless contacts and firefights throughout that war, that courage and that selflessness was on display.

I regret to say that back home we did not always appreciate our veterans and their virtues at the time. While people were entitled to question the war, they should never have doubted our soldiers. Eventually we would see what had always been true: that our personnel in Vietnam were and are the very best of Australia.

In 2006, on the eve of Vietnam Veterans Day, the then Prime Minister, John Howard, addressed this chamber and apologised on behalf of our parliament for the mistreatments of earlier times. On that day Kim Beazley read from a letter by the then member for Cowan, Graham Edwards, who, as we all know, served and was wounded in Vietnam. If I may, I will quote from that letter. Graham Edwards wrote:

… I want to say I am proud to have served my nation and proud of all who served with me.

I am proud of my mates and the contribution they made to Australia.

I take pride in their mateship.

I don't need anyone's apology for that.

I say of all our Vietnam personnel: they did their duty, they did us proud and their sacrifice should never be forgotten by the country they served.

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