Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also thank the member for Gellibrand for his motion and allowing us to reflect on Vietnam Veterans Day and marking the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, which took place on 18 August 1966. To commence my contribution I would like to read from the book written by Harry Smith, who led the company that engaged in the Long Tan battle. He says:

The Battle of Long Tan on 18 August 1966 was a savage action in which 108 men from my former Delta Company 6RAR, supported by artillery, fought off an enemy regiment of four regular Viet Cong and NVA battalions. My company sadly lost 17 killed and 23 wounded, but the enemy's casualties were in the order of 500 killed and 800 wounded. The battle was applauded as one of the most savage company actions of Australian involvement and was later selected by the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia as their icon of that war.

The Battle of Long Tan depicts the unwavering bravery and struggle endured by our veterans during Australia's involvement in Vietnam. The battle is still considered one of the most significant engagements involving the Australian military. As is the case throughout our military history, New Zealand soldiers were also lending critical support, in the finest traditions of Anzac. New Zealand artillery provided an invaluable source of support and assistance throughout that battle. Vietnam veterans deserve the same amount of pride, praise and commemoration from our nation as those who served so gallantly in Gallipoli, Tobruk and the Kokoda Trail. Out of the 60,000 Australians who served in Vietnam, 521 were killed and more than 3,000 were wounded. It is certainly to our nation's shame that it was not until some 29 years later that this country offered veterans a welcome-home parade.

Since that war, Australia has welcomed a large number of Vietnamese refugees to our shores who today make a tremendous contribution to the fabric of our multicultural society. As I represent an electorate where 20 per cent of my constituents are of Vietnamese origin, I am certainly aware of the level of appreciation that the Vietnamese community still has to the Australian soldiers who fought so valiantly in the Vietnam conflict. More than 1,000 Australians travelled to Vietnam to mark the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan but were left confused, disappointed and unable to attend the formal Long Tan ceremony that had been so long planned, with very little notice from the Vietnamese authorities who withdrew permission for that event. For many, this would have been the first time since the war that they had travelled to Vietnam—such a very emotional period for them. It is only right at this time that we also remember the quarter of a million Vietnamese soldiers who died fighting to defend South Vietnam and the more than two million Vietnamese who left their land, fleeing the repressive forces of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in search of freedom and democracy.

While many South Vietnamese soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefields, those who survived suffered greatly from debilitating conditions and the treatment they received at the hands of the communist regime. In Vietnam today, Vietnam veterans are among the most disadvantaged and receive little or no support from their government because of their efforts to defend South Vietnam. These Vietnamese veterans are not treated honourably or equitably. They are treated as second-class citizens. For many years now, the Vietnamese invalid veterans association, as well as the ARVN association of Australia, have been supporting these ex-servicemen in Vietnam who fought for freedom and democracy. I also acknowledge the efforts of Vietnamese Sydney Radio for their support of invalid veterans. These organisations have made a phenomenal difference in the lives of invalid Vietnamese veterans through their financial support.

I commend all those who served in this conflict, and I think at this time we should also remember— (Time expired)

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