Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on Vietnam Veterans Day, and I do so in recognition of our Vietnam veterans and the contribution that they and their families have made to our nation and to our community. This year marks 50 years since Australia sent its first contingent of troops to serve in what would come to be known as the Vietnam War. It would be another 10 years before the last Australian soldier would leave Vietnam, with 500 men losing their lives in the conflict and more than 3,000 being wounded or falling ill. The war would come to represent an era of our nation's history, with songs, movies, television shows and books all being composed to discuss and portray our nation's role in the war and life back at home. However, the most lasting impact of the war was on our brave men and women who travelled far from home to serve their country in situations many of us just could not contemplate.

This year marks the 46th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, a battle which saw the 108 Australians of D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, confront a superior force of between 1,500 and 2,500 North Vietnamese and Vietcong soldiers. Throughout the afternoon and night of 18 August 1966, the Australians held off the North Vietnamese advance and managed to consolidate their position against any further counterattacks. Eighteen Australians were killed in action, with another 24 wounded. The Battle of Long Tan exemplifies the tenacity of the Australian spirit, which has been seen in many battles, and this spirit continues today amongst all of the men and women who have served their country and those who continue to do so.

I am proud to have a sizeable number of veterans in my electorate of McPherson who have given so much for their country in some of the most harrowing circumstances and I reaffirm my support for them, and I will continue to fight to ensure they are given the respect and support that they deserve from a grateful nation.

To commemorate the service of our Vietnam veterans, I attended a Vietnam Veterans Day ceremony in my electorate of McPherson last Saturday, 18 August. I joined over 200 Vietnam veterans, relatives and members of the community at the Kirra Sports Club memorial garden to remember those men who died for their country and to give thanks for those who came back home safely. I would like to commend Dave Dolan, President of the Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Sub Branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia, and Glen Wright, the President of the Kirra Sports Club, for their hard work in organising Saturday's ceremony, and for providing an opportunity for the community to remember the service of those Australians who served in Vietnam.

I would also like to thank Reverend Ken Spreadborough for his role in conducting the ceremony on Saturday and also Ron Workman OAM, the president of Currumbin RSL for his very moving address on that day.

In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to all of those Vietnam veterans who served their country with distinction and courage, and pay my respects to those Australians who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country. Lest we forget.

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

Last Saturday marked the 46th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan and the brave efforts of D Company of 6RAR. They were the first Australian task force to be established in the operations near the village of Long Tan, a piece of high ground surrounded by rubber plantations in South Vietnam. On 18 August 1966, Delta Company encountered and engaged an enemy many times larger than their whole strength. On 18 August each year, we commemorate the 108 Australians who took part in that battle, under the command of the then Major Harry Smith. They bravely held off a force of more than 2½ thousand North Vietnamese Army, as well as local Vietcong soldiers.

The Australian soldiers fought in very tough conditions, with the torrential rain in the Long Tan rubber plantation. From all accounts, and having spoken to Harry Smith myself, I understand it could not have been a worse situation. The Australians on the ground found themselves to be short of ammunition at the start of the battle and were forced to wait for assistance from helicopters to drop supplies. This all took place after the battle had begun, because it was not anticipated that they would be encountering the North Vietnamese Army at that particular location. The Battle of Long Tan perfectly symbolises the bravery shown, and the struggle endured, by our veterans during Australia's involvement in Vietnam. By the end of the day, 18 Australians between the ages of 19 and 22 were killed, another 24 were wounded. On the other side, however, as I understand it, they lost in excess of 500 soldiers, with many more wounded. This was the most costly battle for Australians that occurred during that war.

As is the case throughout our military history, New Zealand soldiers were also lending crucial support in the finest traditions of ANZAC. New Zealand artillery provided an invaluable source of support and assistance throughout that battle. I also want to use the opportunity today to extend my deepest condolences and pay respect to the people of New Zealand, particularly the families of three young soldiers recently killed in Afghanistan. Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker, who was 26 years old, Corporal Luke Tamatea, who was 31, and 21-year old Private Richard Harris were killed in the north-east of Bamyan Province on Sunday.

The 10 New Zealanders and the 33 Australian soldiers who have lost their lives since the conflict began in Afghanistan should not be forgotten, even while we commemorate our veterans of Vietnam. Despite the difficulties encountered, Australian and New Zealand men and women continue to be deployed around the globe in the fight to defend freedom and liberty, just as they did in Vietnam.

This year, 2012, marks the 50th anniversary of Australia's commitment in Vietnam. Clearly, Vietnam veterans deserve the same amount of pride and praise from our nation as those who served gallantly at Gallipoli, Tobruk and Kokoda. Out of the 50,000 Australians who served in Vietnam, 521 lost their lives in service to this country and more than 3,000 were wounded. Everyone who served in Vietnam deserves the proper recognition and full respect of this nation. Despite the tremendous bravery and sacrifice they offered, it is to this nation's lasting shame that the soldiers were not given proper acknowledgement or recognition until many years after the war.

Even with the controversy and strong political disagreement, as well as disagreement in the social arena, about our involvement in Vietnam, our veterans deserve to be properly honoured for their service. Sadly, they had to deal with the post-war trauma in silence. Unfortunately, our nation failed them for many years after they returned. Even though it has been 50 years since our involvement in Vietnam and 46 years since the Battle of Long Tan, it has been only 25 years since we started to give proper recognition to the gallant efforts of our veterans. It was not until 3 October 1987 that thousands of Vietnam veterans and their families converged on Australia's largest city to march in a much belated welcome home parade. Approximately 25,000 veterans who served in Vietnam took part in the march, together with the next of kin of those whose tragically did not return. Several hundred thousand people lined the streets. That was fitting, but for those who had served this country it was certainly a long, long time to wait. It was only last year, more than 45 years after the Battle of Long Tan, that 6RAR company veterans were honoured with the Unit Citation for Gallantry by the Governor-General—again, somewhat belatedly but certainly very fitting for those who served in that battle.

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 the representative of an electorate where more than 20 per cent of people are of Vietnamese origin, I am aware of the level of gratitude that the Vietnamese community still feels towards Australia and the soldiers who fought in the Vietnam war.

Long Tan represents our first major engagement in Vietnam, and it was one of the most difficult and certainly one of the most courageous battles in this nation's history. I was recently very much touched by the emotional words written to commemorate the Battle of Long Tan by a very good friend of mine, Bao Khan, a Vietnamese refugee herself and a very strong advocate for human rights and freedom in Vietnam. She expressed the gratitude of the Vietnamese people towards Australian soldiers and Australia in the form of a lovely poem, which I would like to take a little time to read:

There was the time, you were there for us

There was the time, you fought for us

For our freedom, for our lives

Always the time, we'll adore you

Always the time, we'll remember you

Our Heroes … Our Friends

Long Tan, Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy, Ba Ria

Saigon, Binh Ba, Hoa Long, Vung Tau …

You were there to defend our land

You were there against red demons

Your sacrifice was for good cause

Your sacrifice for us to live

For freedom, democracy … Vietnam always remembers

Now is the time we gather here

Now is the time to show our love

To all soldiers, Australia

Always the time, we'll adore you

Always the time, We'll remember you

Our Heroes … Our Friends

Lest we forget.

Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to join with the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and all of my other parliamentary colleagues to speak on the motion recognising the Battle of Long Tan and the contribution of all Vietnam veterans. In recognising Vietnam 50 years on, it is recognising that also last Saturday, 18 August, was the 46th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan. It is an opportunity for all of us to pause, reflect and remember the sacrifice over the 10 years between 1962 and 1972 of nearly 60,000 Australians who served in the Vietnam War. Throughout the campaign, 521 Australians were killed in action and more than 3,000 were wounded in action. Every one of the men and women who served in Vietnam and returned home did so a changed person.

Today I join the Vietnam veterans and their families who honour their service and their sacrifice in our nation's name. This year has added significance as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first Australian troops in Vietnam in 1962. The Australian Army Training Team Vietnam, the AATTV, was sent to South Vietnam in July 1962 to provide support and training to South Vietnamese troops. Throughout the campaign, Australia deployed approximately three battalions of infantry, one regiment of Centurion tanks and three RAAF squadrons, plus extensive naval transport and support.

Whilst I admit the treatment of our Vietnam veterans remains a dark stain on our nation's history, I am comforted in knowing that we are starting to learn the lessons of these things we did wrong and seeking to address them for the current generation of men and women returning from active service. Last Thursday the Senate passed a motion acknowledging Vietnam Veterans Day, the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, the arrival of the AATTV and the shameful treatment of our Vietnam veterans upon their return. It also acknowledged the arrival at the Australian War Memorial of the original Long Tan Cross, which will be on display at the War Memorial until April next year.

Vietnam Veterans Day is another important opportunity for us to reflect upon the service of all our Vietnam veterans from all three services and the important lessons our nation has learnt since their service ended. Last Saturday, in particular, we marked the anniversary of one of Australia's more iconic battles of the Vietnam War, the Battle of Long Tan. The Battle of Long Tan is best remembered as the Australian classic struggle against a much bigger enemy. The 108 men of D Company 6RAR fought against an opponent said to be over 2,000 to win the day and to be nationally and internationally recognised for their tenacity, their courage, their bravery under fire. Today, whilst honouring the memory of the fallen men in D Company 6RAR, we remember all of those who served in the Vietnam War and, in particular, all of those 521 who paid the supreme price. Other battles and firefights deserve no less a recognition. Names like Nui Dat, the Horseshoe, Fire Base Coral and Balmoral all bring back different memories, all conjure up different emotions but all are uniquely Australian. To leave our shores in full knowledge that it may be the last time you saw your loved ones is an issue that plays on each and every person's mind.

It has now been over 39 years since Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War came to an end in 1973, yet the Vietnam War remains remarkably fresh in the minds of many Australians. Vietnam was a war that divided our nation. While revealing the very best in our fighting forces—their gallantry, their professionalism—it was a war that drew unstinting praise for Australian servicemen from our allies in arms, including this tribute from General Westmoreland, the commander of the US forces in Vietnam, who said of our Australian troops at an Anzac Day service:

I have never seen a finer group of men. I have never fought with a finer group of soldiers.

On previous occasions, I have spoken of the experiences that have been recounted to me. I have spoken of their hardships, their shameful treatment during the war and their rejection as citizens upon landing back in Australia at the tour's end. Whilst these experiences are important to acknowledge, to talk about and to address, today I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of other services to the Vietnam War.

Whilst the Australian Army sent 42,407 troops to Vietnam between 1962 and 1973, it is important that we not forget the enormous contribution the men and women of Australia's medical teams made to the health and wellbeing of those who served in Vietnam; or the contribution of the 4,443 personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force over the life of the Vietnam campaign, commencing in 1964, when a flight of Caribou began flying transport operations around South Vietnam, followed up by RAAF helicopters and the squadron of Canberra bombers in 1967, performing a variety of roles from aeromedical evacuations to airfield construction to combat flying with the US forces; or the contribution of the 13,500 personnel from the Royal Australian Navy—as I am always reminded, the 'Senior Service', always first into conflict.

The Royal Australian Navy was in Vietnam showing the flag with HMAS Vampire and Quickmatch in early '62, followed by HMAS Quiberon and Queenborough in January '63. However, the Royal Australian Navy's presence was indirectly made known earlier by the hulk of the auxiliary minelayer HMAS Bungaree, laid up on the southern banks of Vung Tau harbour long before Australia entered the conflict. The first voyage of HMAS Sydneyor, as it was more commonly known, the Vung Tau ferry—to South Vietnam as a troop carrier, escorted by HMAS Melbourne, Duchess and Parramatta, began on 27 May 1965.

The Royal Australian Navy's primary contribution consisted of destroyers, Fleet Air Arm personnel attached to a United States Army assault helicopter company and the Royal Australian Air Force's No. 9 Squadron, and a logistic support force consisting of transport and escort ships. Other Royal Australian Navy personnel served ashore in medical teams or performed staff duties at the Australian Embassy in Saigon or the Australian Task Force Headquarters in Nui Dat. The first guided-missile destroyers to deploy to Vietnam were Hobart, Perth and Brisbane. The Australian DDGs were well suited for the task of providing naval gunfire support. The guns of the Daring-class destroyer HMAS Vendetta proved extremely accurate, which served her well to wear the naval gunfire support ship title of a 'nine-mile sniper'. HMAS Hobart was the first DDG to join the US Seventh Fleet in March 1967, beginning the six-monthly rotations of Royal Australian Navy destroyers on the gun line. Hobart and Perth were deployed three times to Vietnam, Brisbane twice and Vendetta once. The destroyers carried out the naval gunship missions in all of South Vietnam's four military regions.

Hobart, Perth and Vendetta came under enemy attack on a number of occasions. Perth was hit once during her first deployment. Hobart suffered two killed and seven wounded when she was mistakenly hit by missiles fired from a United States Air Force aircraft. Vendetta came under rocket and swimmer attack in Da Nang harbour and mortar attack off the coast of the Quang Tin province. HMAS Sydney's escorts included Her Majesty's armed ships Melbourne, Anzac, Derwent, Duchess, Parramatta, Stuart, Swan, Torrens, Vampire, Vendetta and Yarra.

In 1966, the Vietnam supply line was supplemented by two Australian National Line cargo ships, Jeparit and Boonaroo.

In March 1967 members of the Seamen's Union refused to man Jeparit and Boonaroo. To overcome this difficulty, Boonaroo was immediately commissioned by the Royal Australian Navy with a full naval crew for one return voyage to Cam Ranh Bay and Singapore. Jeparit was later commissioned following further industrial action.

Between 1967 and 1971 the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight was fully integrated with the US Army 135th Assault Helicopter Company, flying Iroquois helicopters in both utility and gunship configurations. The role of the 135th Assault Helicopter Company was to provide tactical air movement of combat troops, supplies and equipment, and air mobile operations. This included augmentation of Army medical services, search and rescue, and the provision of a command-and-control-aircraft capability.

Throughout the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight's deployments there were many individual acts of bravery performed in the face of the enemy. One such incident occurred on 4 December 1971, when Lieutenant Jim Buchanan, Royal Australian Navy, was piloting a helicopter operating in the U Minh Forest. While engaged in medical evacuation the group came under heavy attack from enemy forces. Realising that the boat on which he was operating was disabled and drifting towards the enemy-held shore, Lieutenant Buchanan deliberately hooked the skids of his aircraft onto the boat's superstructure and towed it to a safe area. He was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and I believe has also been awarded the US Navy Cross.

We must also recognise the significant contribution of one of the smallest—and unrivalled—Australian units to serve in Vietnam: Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diving Team 3. They were an elite group of 49 officers and men, divers trained in the dangerous business of explosive ordnance disposal who established an enviable reputation for courage and innovation in a time of war in the spirit of the divers' motto: 'United and undaunted'. During the 10 years that the Royal Australian Navy was involved in the war, eight officers and sailors were killed and another 46 were either wounded or suffered other injuries. The dedication and professionalism shown by members of the Royal Australian Navy earned the service the respect of our allies and continued the traditions established by Australian sailors in other wars.

I am always honoured and very privileged to participate in Vietnam Veterans' Remembrance Day activities, which I did on Saturday at Medowie and Forster, for I, like the majority of Australians, believe that we are a nation deeply indebted to all of those who fought in Vietnam. So today, in this year of the 46th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, it gives Australians an opportunity to offer our support and our gratitude for the service that they gave this great nation—support that, sadly, was not afforded when they came home. Visiting the troops on the front line in Tarin Kowt in Afghanistan a couple of years ago gave me a greater understanding of the stress and, importantly, the professionalism, dedication and camaraderie that exists as a part of the esprit de corps. I continually find myself being humbled and emotionally stretched on days like Vietnam Veterans' Remembrance Day, whether it be by the worn and torn faces I see in front of me, reading their stories about the hell of the war or hearing their softly told stories that reduce strong men to tears.

From the first Australians killed in the South African wars in the last years of the 19th century to the tragic recent death of the last Australian soldier to die in Afghanistan, Sergeant Blaine Diddams, whose dad, Peter, a Vietnam veteran himself, and his mum, Cath, who reside in my electorate of Paterson in Pacific Palms, more than 102,000 Australians have lost their lives in defence of the freedoms that we enjoy today. The stories of bravery and fortitude in Vietnam take their honoured place in the chronicles of Australia's military history.

The line that runs from Gallipoli through to Kokoda and Kapyong also runs to Long Tan and Tarin Kowt. All are synonymous in our nation's collective memory with the values of courage, endurance, valour and comradeship. Vietnam is also a story of the Australian national serviceman. From 1965 to 1972, more than 15,000 of those called up under the National Service scheme were sent to Vietnam.

I would like to conclude today with a simple verse written by Private Gary McMahan, 6RAR, Vietnam. I believe it accurately portrays the Australian experience and the spirit during the Vietnam war. It reads:

We would do anything for a mate, anything except leave him on the battlefield. We shared our last drops of water, or our last cigarette. We patrolled together, we slept together, we laughed together and we fought together. We even died together.

It has been an honour to share these thoughts with the parliament today. I say to all our men and women: may God bless each and every one of you and may a peace finally meet your living soul.

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Higher Education and Skills) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to add my comments to the statements made by the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister for Defence and the shadow minister for defence to the parliament on Monday and to commend the contributions made by my colleagues, the members for Fowler and Paterson, immediately before my contribution today.

Vietnam Veterans Day is commemorated in Australia on 18 August each year. It is a time to reflect in particular on the battle of Long Tan and the Australians who served during the Vietnam War and it is an opportunity to remember those who, most sadly, did not come home. At the request of the South Vietnamese government, a team of 30 Australian military advisers were sent to Vietnam during July and August 1962, 50 years ago this year. This was followed in August 1964 by the Royal Australian Air Force, sending a flight of Caribou aircraft. Australia sent the first battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment, 1RAR, in June 1965. As hostilities escalated, the Australian government introduced the National Service Scheme, which saw conscripts involved in that conflict as well as all nine RAR battalions over the period of the war. Public opposition to the war eventually led to the Allied political leadership announcing the gradual withdrawal of Allied forces from 1971, and the Australian commitment ended in June 1973.

The commemoration of the Vietnam War in Australia is held in August to mark the Battle of Long Tan. I would like to use the words describing the battle directly from the Australian War Memorial website. It says:

On that day, 108 Australian and New Zealand soldiers fought a pitched battle against over 2,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops in a rubber plantation not far from the small village of Long Tan. The Australians prevailed, but only after fighting in torrential rain for four hours. They were nearly overrun, but were saved by a timely ammunition resupply, accurate artillery fire from the nearby Australian base, and the arrival of reinforcements by armoured personnel carrier. Eighteen Australians lost their lives and 24 were wounded, the largest number of casualties in one operation since the Australian task force had arrived a few months earlier. After the battle the bodies of 245 enemy soldiers were found, but there was evidence that many more bodies had been carried away.

Last Saturday evening I joined many local people at the Vietnam Veterans Day commemoration service organised by the Illawarra Vietnam Veterans Sub-Branch and held at the memorial at Flagstaff Hill in Wollongong. I have attended this service regularly since I was elected, as many of my colleagues in this House do, in order to show respect to the service and sacrifice it honours and to show support for the excellent work carried out by the Illawarra Vietnam Veterans Association. We were joined—and it has been a regular occurrence—by members of the Vietnamese community in the Illawarra, who regularly support the activities of the Vietnam Veterans Association.

The memorial was extended by a walkway which holds the plaques of returned veterans who have subsequently passed away. It is a moving and important recognition of their service as well. Each year, sadly, more names are added to the wall and this year six more veterans were honoured. The address for the service was delivered by Major General Hori Howard AO MC ESM, retired, who regular supports local service events and always has an important and well-received message for those gathered for the occasion. I want to congratulate the Illawarra Vietnam Veterans Sub-Branch on their continued work on behalf the veterans and their families and for their contribution to the better understanding of their service and sacrifice by the wider community. I will take a moment to acknowledge them by name: the President, Peter Mitchell; Senior Vice-President and Treasurer, Pam Bowmaker JP; secretary, Kathy Kielbicki; Junior Vice-Presidents, Graham Parsons and Ian Birch; and committee members Eraldo Bensi, Alan Groome JP, Greg Keir, Gerry O'Leiry, Bob Green and John Kielbicki.

I would make the point that I am sure that each of those soldiers we remember on occasions such as this, those who fought for their country and, particularly, those who gave their lives for their country, hoped that their war would be the last time that anybody would have to undergo that sort of service and sacrifice for the country, hoped that their children, their nieces and nephews and their grandchildren, would not be called upon to do so as well. Sadly, that has not been the case since the Vietnam conflict. I would like to also take this opportunity to say that those present on Saturday night recognised and sent their thoughts and best wishes to those in our armed services who are currently serving in places around the globe on behalf of our nation and hope that their families take some support from our expressions of goodwill, concern and hope for their safe return. Lest we forget.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Saturday, I was pleased to join with the Ryan community to remember the sacrifices made by our troops in the Vietnam War. Vietnam Veterans Day is a particularly important day this year as it marks 50 years since Australia's involvement in Vietnam. Originally, it was a day to commemorate the Battle of Long Tan and, since 1966, it has been adopted by all veterans. This is appropriate as the Battle of Long Tan was the largest single unit battle fought in Vietnam by Australian troops. It began on the afternoon of 18 August and went right through the night until the morning of the 19th. The Australians had only been in Vietnam for a few months and this was the first major conflict on Vietnamese soil involving Australian troops. Eighteen Australians died at Long Tan, but they did not die in defeat. Long Tan stands tall in our memory and we do not forget. The Vietnam War became the longest war in which Australians served, spanning a ten-year period. By the end of the conflict, more than 58,000 Australians, including many from our local community, had served their nation, at their nation's request, in the Vietnam War.

As the member for Paterson said, the treatment of our returning soldiers remains a dark stain on Australia's history. Anecdotal evidence holds that most men returned from Vietnam in the dead of night, hidden from the public. In fact, large numbers actually returned on the HMAS Sydney to a welcome by dignitaries and a parade. The manner of their homecoming affected the way in which veterans recovered from the war. Those who did arrive late at night to no fanfare and the seeming indifference of the military had more trouble adjusting to life at home than did those whose return was more public and who had the benefit of a couple of weeks unwinding on board HMAS Sydney before reaching Australia.

But the return home was only the beginning of a long period of readjustment. For a long time after the war, large numbers of Vietnam veterans felt that many in Australia blamed them rather than the politicians for the war and the way it had been conducted. Fortunately, we have learned from those dark days, and today returning service men and women are given much more support when they return home.

On 18 August we must remember every Australian who served and suffered in Vietnam at the request of the nation. This year, I was honoured to join community members at the Gaythorne RSL Sub-Branch's annual Vietnam Veterans Day service in Sid Loder Park at Mitchelton. I attended the service with my colleagues the Premier of Queensland and state member for Ashgrove, Campbell Newman; fellow state members Tim Mander and Dale Shuttleworth; and local councillors Andrew Wines and Brian Battersby. As always, it was inspiring to see so many community members attend this moving service and appreciate the heartfelt address by the President of the Gaythorne RSL, Mr Merv Brown, who is himself a Vietnam veteran. I congratulate those who are keeping fresh the memory of this special day for all Australians. Those who served our nation and, indeed, those who made the ultimate sacrifice will forever be remembered. Lest we forget.

Sid Sidebottom (Braddon, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join with my colleagues in this chamber to pay my respects to and to honour those people who fought in the Vietnam War and also, most especially, those who lost their lives and/or were wounded.

It was my era but, fortunately, I was not called upon to go to Vietnam, although a number of my friends were. Although, fortunately, none of them lost their lives or were too seriously wounded, every single one of them was scarred by the events and what happened to them in Vietnam—in one instance, for a very personal friend, it has been very sad to see how it has affected him mentally and in his life choices thereafter.

I too remember the unfortunately shameful way that we failed to recognise the service of our servicemen in Vietnam. The opprobrium of the politics of the war was directed towards them instead of where it belonged, or at least where the responsibility for the decision to go into Vietnam lay. In 1987 we did the right thing as a nation and welcomed them home. As unfortunate as it has been that our serving personnel have had to represent our country in the cause of both peace and peacekeeping in our contribution to service overseas, we recognise most especially our service personnel and the wonderful job they do on our behalf.

One of the good things that came out of 1987 and the return was the recognition of Vietnam Veterans Day, or Vietnam war day. A lot of that is centred round an event that tended to summarise the feelings of many in Australia, and certainly of those who served, about what it means to represent your country, irrespective of the politics of the decision making to send you. It brings to mind to observers like me and others at a long distance what it means in a moment in history to serve your country.

I read with great interest, and emotionally at times, the comments of Lieutenant Colonel Harry Smith as the commander of Delta Company. He is a very straight-shooting person, if you will excuse the pun, who wrote a paper called 'No time to fear'. What an extraordinary title. I have never been under fire, but one of my colleagues here indeed has. No time to fear—I just try to understand myself and what it would mean to be in a serious firefight, a serious battlefield situation. How would I feel? To realise that in the Battle of Long Tan and on the Long Tan battlefield the youngest participant, I understand, on the Australian side was 19 years of age and the eldest was 22. I think of my children, my sons, and it really beggars belief. At 19 years of age you are in a plantation facing overwhelming odds—we use that term but I do not mean it in the hero sense; I mean it in the extraordinary sense—an extraordinary number of enemy soldiers before you and you enter into a firefight over three or four hours in the pouring rain. You are in there, totally undermanned and underprepared, and this force is dedicated to making a statement about your presence in their region and a firefight takes place. Fortunately, our soldiers were aided by others in this firefight. There were 18 young Australians killed and 24 wounded.

We do not know what the total loss of life was in that battle. I am sorry that there was any loss of life. We know that at least 245 Vietnamese opposition soldiers died, and we expect that there were many more. It sounded like absolute carnage. But they survived, with great will, and so much so that they were cited for the US Presidential Unit Citation. Long Tan has become, if you like, a symbol of what it means to face danger and to have to cope with that danger. You have no say, you have no time even to fear, as Lieutenant Colonel Harry Smith comments. So that battle has begun to symbolise (1) their sacrifice and (2) what it means to share your life and your death with someone at a particular moment in time. I could not even begin to imagine what that must mean to those who shared that.

But I do know that the Long Tan Cross must be an extraordinary symbol, a living symbol, to them of that moment. It has come to symbolise something very important, not just in the military tradition in Australia, which is a fine tradition, but also in our national tradition. I saw a record of one of those who took part in the battle and who saw the carnage, Peter Slack-Smith. This is a record of what happened when he first saw the cross, which has come to Australia—and that is fantastic thing. He said:

The first thing I saw was the red mud—

at the base of the cross—

I know that mud; I have grovelled in that mud.

For him it is not just about grovelling in the mud. For him that was a life-changing, life-surviving experience with colleagues, some of whom did not live after that event or were wounded because of that event. Mud. That is what war is, apart from the extraordinary emotion and human qualities that are part of that terrible thing.

The cross itself has an extraordinary history. Some years after the war, Australian troops got together and made a cross, which they helicoptered into the site and there it remained for some time, until it was removed and another replica was put there by locals to remember the event. They too lost people in that extraordinary event. The cross made its way to Dong Nai Museum, and the cross that is in Australia today is that cross. It is now on loan, and we do thank the Vietnamese authorities and the museum for it and also those Aussies who campaigned to get that cross to Australia. It will be here until next year. It is going to be hard to remove that cross.

I want to thank and pay homage to those who fought on that day against extraordinary odds, who grovelled for us and also those who fought in Vietnam, particularly those who lost their lives and those who were injured. As I said, so many have been scarred thereafter. I do apologise for the way that we treated those soldiers, my friends. I was one of those who did not pay enough respect and thank them. I forever live with that. It will never be repeated again, I hope, in our history. I particularly want to say that the cross symbolises more than just a battle and the carnage that took place there; it symbolises the importance of being a human being and doing what you think is right.

Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for his heartfelt sentiment.

Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to remember our Vietnam veterans and to do honour to 18 August, which we now call Vietnam commemoration day. Perhaps I am a bit old-fashioned, but I would still like to hear it called Long Tan day. We do not talk about Gallipoli as the Turkish campaign, we talk about it as Gallipoli. I think there is something very special about Long Tan, as speakers have said today. Celebrating the arrival of the cross at the War Memorial resonated particularly with me because Harry Smith, the commander at Long Tan, is a constituent of mine, and is much loved in the Hervey Bay community. We have had some amazing battles in Australia's military history going back to the Sudan and the Boer War. I mention Gallipoli and the Western Front in the First World War. There were some incredible battles of the Second World War, not least of which was Milne Bay to our north. It was the first time that the Japanese had been defeated on land for centuries. There was the amazing withdrawal, while the Australians held the line, of the United Nations troops escaping from Kapyong. It was an extraordinary battle.

We then come to the Vietnam War and, as my colleague has just said, we have never given that—at least until comparatively recent times—the honour due to it. My personal view is that when you read about these patterns, and I do read a bit although I do not claim to be a military historian—not like the member for Riverina, who really is up on these matters—you see that in terms of intensity that was probably our most important military engagement of all time. I know there will be military people who will disagree with me. But the Battle of Long Tan went from about 3.40 pm until 7.10 pm. It was on the edge of a rubber plantation. It was not a setpiece battle. The Australian the company had gone out on a normal reconnoitre and had come across scouts from a huge party of North Vietnamese regulars and a Vietcong unit. They engaged on the edge of that rubber plantation in the mid afternoon until late afternoon on 18 August. It was a fierce battle, made all the worse by the fact that it went on in pouring rain. The Australians were hopelessly outnumbered. The exact numbers will never be known because the North Vietnamese took their dead from the field, but from what has subsequently been found in intelligence documents and the number of bodies that were buried on the day it is thought that the local irregulars, the Vietcong and the North Vietnamese regulars totalled somewhere in the order of 2,500. They were taken on by 108 ANZACs—105 Australians and three New Zealanders. As I said, it was in the pouring rain. At the height of the battle, Harry Smith, the commander, was lying in two or three inches of muddy water with his New Zealand artillery officer beside him and they were calling down a barrage of American, New Zealand and Australian guns just metres in front. It was incredibly dangerous and of course the shells exploding in the rubber plantation were very effective, and really slowed the North Vietnamese forces down.

Eventually, around seven o'clock, after this terrible battle, the North Vietnamese forces withdrew.

There is another sideline to this battle. In the middle of all this, the Australians were, as I said before, out on patrol, a reconnoitre—they did not go heavily armed in the sense of going in for a definitive battle—and an RAAF pilot actually flew into the middle of the battle with ammunition, at an incredible risk. There had been intelligence reports that there was a big North Vietnamese unit forming up. Some people scotched it and some people took it seriously, but what we have subsequently discovered is that those 2½ thousand troops had not come to engage the company 6RAR; they had come to attack the Australian base at Nui Dat. On that afternoon, about the same time that the battle was going on, there was a concert with Little Pattie and so on at Nui Dat. Nui Dat was not a heavily defended base, so you can imagine what might have happened had that patrol not engaged with them. Imagine 2½ thousand troops descending on Nui Dat immediately after a concert in the early evening. Imagine the mayhem and the death toll that may have occurred, and yet these 108 guys took on 2½ thousand people and won it. That is the first part of the story.

Well might we celebrate that cross and well might we bring it to Australia in this year's Vietnam commemoration. But there are still wrongs to be righted in this dreadful business. Harry Smith was recommended for the DSO and his two lieutenants were recommended for the Military Cross. When the freedom of information documents became available later, Harry discovered—30 years on—that his DSO had been downgraded to a Military Cross and that the Military Crosses of his two lieutenants had been downgraded to be Mentioned in Dispatches, whereas the commander back at Nui Dat accepted a DSO, a commander who did not visit the field until after the battle. I find that absolutely appalling. There was one review by Tanzer in 1999 that recommended there be a long-term review. That was opposed by the generals and, in fact—and this is not said to denigrate the man in any way—Angus Houston said at the time: 'Note that I do not agree to any proposal for additional awards or a unit citation for the force elements in operation Smithfield August 1966 (Long Tan).'

For years these guys have been struggling not just to have their personal awards reinstated but to see that their men were recognised. Eventually Harry Smith was upgraded to the equivalent of the DSO. He got the Star of Gallantry—I am not as familiar with the awards as I should be—and his two officers, Dave Sabben and Geoff Kendall, the Medal of Gallantry.

In fact, it was my pleasure to be at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane last August to see the Meritorious Unit Citation for Afghanistan presented and also to see the former Vietnam soldiers from D Company, 6RAR receive the Unit Citation for Gallantry that had been denied them. Both those awards were presented before the Governor-General at Enoggera Barracks last year.

Twelve of those soldiers who were there that day were recommended for awards. I have told you the odds that there were on that day and the absolute gallantry of the officers who led that event. Eighteen Australians were killed and 24 were wounded. Harry Smith recommended 12 people for awards. Two of them have died. One of them was Gordon Sharp, who was recommended for a posthumous award, and more recently Ron Brett has died. The other 10 were Bill Roche, Ian Campbell, Geoff Peters, Barry Magnussen, Neil Bextrum, Allen May, Noel Grimes and Bill Moore from the unit and, from an APC reaction force that came up to support the troops later in the battle, Adrian Roberts and Frank Alcorta. The late Ron Brett was also part of that group.

Again, this is not said with criticism of any of the people involved, either in the Howard government or in the Gillard government; there is no criticism applied to individuals. But we have now invoked a valour inquiry part 1 and we are currently in the throes of the valour inquiry part 2. I think it is very important that these 12 men be recognised. Harry Smith tells me he has had a difficult time getting this up, because it will require the approval of the minister before the matter can go before the valour inquiry part 2, which is working from now till the end of the year and is being chaired by Alan Rose. So I appeal to the government: in celebrating this event we have to do more than go to the memorials, put our hands on our chests or beat our breasts and say what a marvellous thing it was, how great it was and what marvellous things they did for the Australian psyche and then be so mealy-mouthed—so incredibly mean—as to say, 'But we will not decorate you guys, despite all the evidence and despite you being at the very forefront of the definitive battle of the Vietnam War,' because some records and evidence were lost, even though there is plenty of evidence that can neutralise that. Another general said it would open a can of worms. There is all that stuff, but no-one is going to the core of it: that these were 12 incredibly brave men, 10 of them still alive.

We treated the Vietnam troops in general abysmally after the war. Thank God, over the last decade or so that has changed dramatically, and many of them have moved into the RSL. The president of the RSL in some towns is now a Vietnam veteran. So a lot of that healing has gone on, but these guys were on the front line. These people did our country proud. These people faced an incredibly superior foe. These people won the battle. These people probably prevented a bloodbath at Nui Dat. As my salute in the Vietnam commemoration, I salute these 12.

Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend all those who have spoken so far on this motion amidst all of the very important and fine sentiments that this day was created to reflect. Certainly, it is has been wonderful to have this opportunity every year to add new dimensions to that, to recognise new aspects of the entire conflict of the Vietnam War, and that we centre the recognition around the Battle of Long Tan. Many people have described a lot of the detail of the battle so I will not go into that detail again, but it is quite correct to recognise the key significant salient points about that, being the effort of the troops against such overwhelming odds. At various points of this battle it was actually a mere platoon that was facing, effectively, the brigade-size strength of the enemy.

But there were other units and subunits that were engaged that day that we should also recognise. Apart from Delta Company of 6RAR, there were, of course, the sterling efforts of the 9th Squadron (RAAF), who really risked life and limb to get the resupply happening to the isolated troops in terrible conditions and under significant fire. Of course, the 1st Field Regiment, with its 161st New Zealand battery, a true ANZAC effort that effectively kept those troops alive and prevented them from being overrun, laid down the steel curtain that really saved the day for the survivors of that battle.

There was a very significant barrage that was added to by our US allies as well, which we should acknowledge too, and also some air support. There was also the cavalry arriving literally towards the end of the battle and the 3 Troop of the 1st APC squadron and all of the legendary names that have emerged from that battle that really shaped the folklore and the heritage that I inherited when I first joined the Army. One of the things I would like to pay tribute to is that the people who trained me when I first joined the army were all Vietnam veterans, and I owe a great deal of gratitude and debt to those men, because the skills and things they taught me stood me in good stead for many years afterwards in many situations. They provided us with a wonderful heritage as young officers and soldiers in the Defence Force at that time. We were the immediate postVietnam generation and we used all the same gear and equipment as that generation. It was all the same vintage—all stuff from the sixties. There were SLRs—everything. So, we really had an empathy identified. The legendary Buick, Sharp, Kendall, Sabben and Smith were all fantastic people who would come and speak to us and teach us lessons about that battle and many others in Vietnam. We should acknowledge not only them but also the Kiwis who helped us in that battle, and particularly the forward observer Stanley, who died not long ago.

One of the most rewarding times for me in parliament is that we were able to address a number of these issues from Long Tan. I personally weighed in on one aspect of that, which was the South Vietnamese declaration of the Cross of Gallantry, which had been denied our troops because, at that time, it had been a policy to reject many of these foreign declarations. Subsequently it had been rejected as being awarded because it could not be established that that had been the intention of the South Vietnamese government and people had effectively given up and walked away from attempting to establish that.

Working with the historian Paul Ham, I was able to establish that there was actually signals traffic from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which was a place nobody had actually looked before, specifically rejecting this offer from the South Vietnamese government. So we could establish that that declaration had been offered but instead, at the time, the soldiers were issued with Vietnamese dolls, which was not quite what they were looking for in recognition of their efforts. So we were able to establish that and then go ahead and issue those declarations. Many, as has been mentioned, were elevated in the gallantry declarations that were awarded, so that was a very pleasing thing.

The other very satisfying aspect of my involvement as a parliamentarian was bringing home the remains of our last two missing servicemen, Michael Herbert and Robert Carver from No. 2 Magpie squadron. Being there with their colleagues from the squadron and their family was very special. To be able to say that we have brought everyone home is a unique claim to be able to make in a conflict like this. What was special was the reception, the assistance, the spirit of cooperation and the camaraderie that we experienced at the Vietnamese end while we were over there in Hanoi. It was a very warm and wonderful experience. We should put it in the context of the fact that the Vietnamese still have 300,000 missing personnel from that conflict. One of the heart-warming things about our modern relationship with Vietnam is that our Defence Force and our experts are currently assisting the Vietnamese authorities to pursue the continuing identification of those missing personnel. It is very heart warming indeed.

It is wonderful to see so many young Australians, young Vietnamese and others moving backwards and forwards in education and tourism. We really have built a wonderful and close bond with that country out of the ashes of such a bitter conflict, and that is wonderful to see. There are quite a few Vietnam veterans from Australia living in Vietnam. Some of them are involved in maintaining the Long Tan battlefield. That is a positive to have taken out of this. We always have to look for long-term meaning out of these sorts of conflicts and tragedies. One of those things is the relationship that we have built with the Vietnamese people, on a people-to-people level.

Mention has been made of the Long Tan Cross. That is very special. I know that the veterans have appreciated having it here. This is something that we can take special note of on this particular Vietnam veterans commemoration. I am very pleased that we have launched the Vietnam Vets Family Study to look into the impacts that there have been on the families. It has been noted that these veterans were treated very badly by all shades of politics and the community in general. That exacerbated the psychological impact of the experience of our veterans in Vietnam. Of course, much of that ends up being passed on to families as it is projected and played out in many domestic homes around Australia. This study is well overdue. I am very pleased to see that we initiated it and that it will be completed, hopefully, by the end of 2012.

We use this day to commemorate the whole of the Vietnam experience. There were many other major confrontations and battles and a lot of loss in the context of that conflict. I think of 5RAR's experience in Bin Ba and the 8RAR operations in the Long Hai hills. Those battles were very difficult and costly of personnel. The major battle that we were involved in over there was the Battle of Fire Support Bases, Corel and Balmoral, where we suffered more casualties in the course of a more extended period of time. The focus was on 1RAR and 3RAR and 102 Battery, which was nearly overrun in that battle. It was one of the last times of any significant scale where our troops were engaged in fixed bayonet fighting. There is no more terrifying, more personal or more horrifying experience than bayonet fighting. That was the last time that was really experienced on that level. We should acknowledge those conflicts.

There were also the incredibly tension filled days of 7RAR, 2RAR and the Horseshoe. All these names will resonate with our veterans. There were the booby-traps and minefields that they had to navigate and they experienced extreme tension in relation to that. You never knew whether that day, when you were out patrolling, would be your last on two legs. We suffered quite a large number of casualties needing amputations. I was recruited into the army by a great hero of mine, Brigadier Rolph, who lost both legs in Vietnam. He was a young platoon commander, straight out of RMC, who went straight over to Vietnam. It was just about his first operation, his first day out in the paddies, and he lost both legs. We should remember those who carry the scars and not just those who lost their lives.

We also have the experiences of 4RAR and 9RAR in Bien Hoa and the battle of Nui Le. There are quite a lot of things that we should remember that occurred alongside the sterling efforts of our troops in Long Tan. We commemorate the entire experience of our people in that long war.

Just recently, we have experienced around this country wonderful celebrations on Vietnam Veterans Day. I particularly want to congratulate the organisers of the event at Batemans Bay that I attended, the Eurobodalla Vietnam Veterans Peacemakers and Peacekeepers Association, particularly the secretary, Helen Kop, and the president, Tony Herbert. They produced an excellent day. What I particularly loved about the day was that in attendance and participating in the parade were Vietnamese veterans from the South Vietnamese Army accompanied by a wonderful troupe of Vietnamese women, beautifully decorated in their traditional dyed dresses. It was so wonderful to have them included. They spoke at the ceremony and went back with us to the Soldiers Club at Batemans Bay for a wonderful gathering and lunch.

The spirit in which these events are being commemorated is wonderful, too. As I mentioned, the important thing is to take lessons and motivation out of these things. We had Sandy MacGregor, former colonel and engineer, speaking to us at Batemans Bay. He had been in Vietnam during the time of the Battle of Long Tan. He lost members of his troops in the lead-up mortar fire that preceded the battle itself. Sandy is a wonderful bloke and has himself tried to take a lot of meaning out of his experiences in Vietnam, as a lot of veterans have. One of the things they have done is to set up MiVAC, which is the Mines Victims and Clearance Trust, established by Australian Vietnam veterans. They raise funds through the trust and I strongly suggest that all people who want to really make a practical impact and recognise Vietnam Veterans Day contribute to the fund because they are doing wonderful work in clearing some of the thousands and millions of unexploded ordnance and mines that still plague that part of the world. In fact, the most bombed country in the world was not Germany, Japan or even Vietnam; it was the little country of Laos, so a lot of the collateral damage that occurred from that war and the bombing of the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos et cetera has left a terrible legacy which continues to maim and kill many, many people. So it is wonderful to see people like Sandy MacGregor and others who have rallied to do something about that by raising funds, getting out there and, as engineers, deploying their expertise to clear these terrible legacies of war.

It resonates very strongly with me because I was involved in the landmines treaty process. I was in Oslo for that process working with my engineer colleagues and others to produce a good outcome there and advance the cause of clearing up these 110 million landmines scattered across the forgotten battlefields of the world. I pay tribute to Sandy MacGregor for his wonderful work in leading the charge and making something positive out of Vietnam Veterans Day. I encourage people to donate to that cause. We also had Ron Richards from the sub-branch at the event, who was a veteran of the Battle of Long Tan as well, so we salute Ron's service in that battle.

This is a great opportunity for us to continue to right the wrongs and to recognise all the dimensions of this conflict and its impact on our country, on the families of the veterans and on the regions which we fought over. And we must remember that our Vietnamese brothers and sisters also endure a continuing legacy. That is a relationship we must continue to build, taking something positive out of this whole experience.

I commend members for participating in this motion. I salute the service of all those veterans who gave their lives, were wounded and provided me with the training, the legacy and the heritage that has meant so much in my service and the service of so many of my brothers and sisters.

Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a pleasure to follow the member for Eden-Monaro and the member for Hinkler. I concur with their words. Last Saturday I was honoured to attend the Sydney chapter of the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club for their Long Tan Day ceremony at their Menai clubhouse. Everyone in attendance was privileged to hear a most moving prayer delivered by Pastor John M 'Gunner' Wickline of the Faith Baptist Church of Dundas Valley. Pastor Wickline was given the name 'Gunner' as during the Vietnam War he served with the American forces as a machine-gunner on a helicopter.

Although I could never match the eloquence of Gunner's delivery, I would like to take this opportunity to read his prayer into Hansard so that others may have the opportunity to read his magnificent words:

Lord God, our Maker and our Saviour, we ask today your presence, your blessing, and Your divine enablement, as we gather here, to remember the occasion of the Battle of Long Tan.

More than four decades have now passed since then.

And, though the victory that was won there, against overwhelming odds, received scant notice here and elsewhere, for those of us who served in Vietnam, it was a defining moment, an occasion that showed irrefutably the courage, and resolve of the Australian Defence Forces to fight to preserve freedom and the values of our nation.

We remember today especially those 18 who paid the ultimate price there on that day, and, indeed all the 501 of our brothers who gave their lives in Australia's service during the war in Vietnam.

And, Lord, we pray for those brave young men and women who are at this very moment serving in our Army, Navy and Air Force.

Lord, we ask that you will grant them safety, that you will preserve their lives, and give them victory as they fight against forces that would attack our way of life and indeed the freedom of all men.

And we ask too that, when they return home, they might receive the gratitude and respect of the nation for whom they have sacrificed so much.

We pray also for Australia, and all its people who have been brought to this Southern Land.

We are thankful for the bounty that you have given to us, and for the liberties that we enjoy.

Help us to live as to honour you, and to be ever vigilant to preserve the marvellous gifts that you have entrusted to us.

We ask that the bitterness of war, though never forgotten, will be eclipsed by the grace that you have showered upon us and our nation.

We ask these things, and we offer our thanks in Jesus' name. Amen!

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

The 18th of August is Vietnam Veterans Day. It was formerly called Long Tan Day. It is the day when we pay tribute to the men and women who served in the war in Vietnam. This year is indeed a significant milestone because it marks 50 years since Australian soldiers were sent to fight the war in Vietnam, and the Battle of Long Tan represents a very important turning point in the war. It is often called a defining moment in our involvement in the conflict in Vietnam. It was on 18 August 1966 that this famous battle took place—a battle between an Australian battalion of just over 100 men and up to 2,000 enemy troops. Sadly, Long Tan is remembered as the place where Australia lost the most men in one operation.

As we have heard today, the Governor-General last week officially unveiled a cross that was first erected after the Battle of Long Tan. The cross has been loaned to the Australian War Memorial by a Vietnamese museum, which shows how Australia and Vietnam have overcome the conflicts of the past and worked towards a long-lasting and close friendship.

On Saturday, 18 August I had the privilege of attending a Vietnam Veterans Day remembrance service at the beautiful Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial on Anzac Parade. I attend every memorial service I can get to and am always in awe of the wonderful memorialisation we have of those who served and those who died in war here in Canberra, particularly up on Anzac Parade. I have spoken in the House before about the beautiful Australian Hellenic Memorial that is just up there on the corner of Anzac Parade. It has the islands of Greece all around it—with the mosaics, which are not terribly good for the high heels, particularly when it rains! But it is a beautiful memorial with the Corinthian pillar, and I have enjoyed many a service there and look forward to many more in the future.

I want to take this opportunity to talk about the Vietnam vets memorial on Anzac Parade because it is a unique and beautiful structure.

It was inspired by ancient standing stones, and it is constructed of three twisted, tapered and inclined stelae rising from a triangular shaped base surrounded by a moat. In front of it is a ramp inviting entry into the interior. It is a place for contemplation and remembrance. There is an altar showing the three service badges. So you actually go into this area of contemplation and, in a way, sanctuary. The rear wall has a photo engraving depicting combat troops awaiting helicopter lift-off, and the right-hand stele has 33 phrases typical of the Vietnam era. Above is a suspended ring of granite blocks, one hollowed out and marked with a gold cross, and that contains a scroll with the names of those who died. Outside the memorial are three flagpoles representing the Navy, Army and Air Force, while three memorial seats commemorate those six members listed as missing in action.

The service I went to last Saturday was attended by the Governor-General and by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs. What I really enjoyed about the service was the fact that it brought together Vietnam vets from the ACT community and New South Wales and, I understand, from other parts of Australia—and to the member, I did go looking for your constituents. I could not find them, unfortunately. It was a moving service, as it always is. Vietnam veteran Pete Ryan, the Vice-President of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia ACT Branch, gave us the introduction and welcome. There was a moving speech by the Governor-General, and then an address by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs.

Most importantly, there was also an address by Vietnam veteran Adrian Clunies-Ross, talking about the Australia Army Training Team in Vietnam. He was there 1962-63, but he was talking about the training team. One of the most poignant elements of it was a deeply moving speech by Cong Le, who was representing the Vietnamese community. He spoke about the Battle of Long Tan. He was only a child when the battle took place. He lived in a village nearby. He recounted the stories of the bravery and the courage of the Australian troops that had been passed down to him by earlier generations—or 'seniors' as he called them. It was really moving to hear from another perspective, a Vietnamese perspective, about the bravery and courage of our soldiers. That for me was one of the real highlights of the commemorative service. As I said, these events have many highlights, but it was a lovely gesture to have someone there from the Vietnamese community recounting their experiences and what they had heard from older generations. There were many members from the Vietnam vets and the Vietnamese community there. We also heard a prayer from Vietnam veteran Ian Thompson who was with 9 Squadron RAAF.

One of the highlights of the day and of the service was the honour roll. Ten soldiers who had lost their lives in Vietnam were honoured. Next to the beautiful memorial are the letters of Vietnam spelt out. On the day they had 10 soldiers standing behind each letter, and a gun behind each letter, and as the person who was paying tribute read out the honour roll of the fallen soldiers each soldier stepped forward, saluted and then put a hat on the gun to commemorate those who had lost their lives. I thought that was a fitting tribute and a deeply moving tribute. This was a very special day and I congratulate the ACT and district Vietnam veterans for a very successful event. They were generously assisted, as always, by the ADF, Australia's Federation Guard, the RMC Band and Vietnam veteran 'Major Voice' Robert Morrison, vets affairs, the NCA, the AFP and ACT Policing.

It is more than appropriate that we pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in terms of their lives, and also to those who served during the Vietnam War. We should not forget those who were left behind during the war. I am talking here about the wives and the children of the Vietnam vets.

My husband is the child of a Vietnam vet, and it is interesting—his father does not talk much about the war. As you know, and as we have heard from many here in this place today, it was one of those wars where people did not come back to any parades; they did not come back to any acknowledgement; they just came back to, in a way, a sense of shame. So his father never talks about it. There was one occasion where he started to talk about it, but that was a very rare event and it was some time ago.

When I go to these events honouring those who sacrificed their lives and also the men and women who served, I also think about those wives—because they were mainly wives at that stage—and children who were left behind and I think about the stories that Chris tells me. He has vivid memories of his father sending reel-to-reel tapes back to the family. They would all sit around in the lounge room and listen to the tapes, and here is Chris's mum—bless her heart; she has passed away—with four boys and one girl, at that stage, on her own, sitting around the tape listening to the stories from their dad, which arrived very irregularly. There were also very infrequent phone calls, when he managed to get a chance. I just contrast that to now—I know it is still tough for the men and women who are left behind, whose husbands and wives and partners are serving in Afghanistan and throughout the world, but at least they have got Facebook and other ways of communicating and keeping in touch, whereas then it was very infrequent and sporadic.

The thing is that the loneliness of Chris's mum was really underscored the other night when we were talking about this speech and my experience of the Vietnam vets day and he was saying that he had a very vivid memory of his mum; she was putting out the bins one night. Traditionally his father had put out the bins, and this was a dark night and Chris was there in his bed, looking out the window, and he was really worried about his mum, out there in the dark night on her own, putting the bins out—just one of those little childhood fears that you have, but I think it highlights how those women did it on their own. They did it bravely. They did it silently. And the children also did it bravely and silently as well.

Chris has also told me about another memory he has from when they were living in the Adelaide Hills, in Woodside. I have spoken about it before in the House. Woodside is in Inverbrackie in the Adelaide Hills. It was during the war—this was 1970—and at that stage it had reached a bit of a pitch in terms of the moratoriums and the protests against the war, and the Army community, or the housing community, had got word that there was going to be a march on the camp, and they were all pretty scared. Normally these sorts of base camps, particularly with the mothers, and the children running around, are pretty benign—they have got guards, but it is all pretty benign—but for the first time ever the guards actually took up pick handles and were wandering around with these pick handles while the kids were playing cricket and footy, just in case someone came in to attack the camp. That did not actually eventuate, but it was, again, one of those things where the kids had no understanding of what was going on; this global geopolitical trauma was playing out and they were, in a way, just caught up in all that. Chris also tells of his experiences at the local school where there was a lot of hatred towards this war, and, unfortunately, anyone who was associated with the war—including the wives of the vets as well as their children—was often vilified and abused, and that is what actually happened to him at school.

So, in saying this, I want to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and the men and women who served in Vietnam, but I also want to pay tribute to those who were left behind, who very silently and very bravely put up with a lot of hardship, and also, in some cases, abuse because of the situation that was happening in Australia in terms of the views of the war.

I want to pay tribute to those, particularly women and children. Many women got husbands back who were very different from those who left and they just got on with it. I salute them and pay my respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice—the men and women who served in Vietnam and, importantly, their families. Lest we forget.

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Deputy Chairman , Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I begin, can I commend the member for Canberra for that thoughtful speech, with some personal reflections as well. Like all of us in this House, we have rightly been with our communities this past weekend for Vietnam Veterans Day. I had the pleasure of attending a service hosted by the Yarra Glen RSL and they hosted other Yarra Valley RSLs and the Yarra Valley Vietnam Veterans Day committee. As would have occurred in all of our suburbs and towns—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is too much noise in the Chamber. The chair is having difficulty. Order!

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Deputy Chairman , Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. As I was saying, all of us in our electorates would have been part of commemorations in suburbs and towns this last weekend. In Yarra Glen a large number of veterans, their families and members of the community met at the Yarra Glen RSL for a service that followed a mid-morning march. I want to pay tribute to the president of the Yarra Glen RSL, Ted Bowling; the secretary, Mr Ed Bartosh; and all of those at Yarra Glen who organised what was a fantastic service. We had a guest speaker, Brigadier Michael Phelps, who spoke magnificently. The tribute I Was Only Nineteen was performed by Paul William Ray. Pastor Michael Baimbridge was there and, as you would expect, the Yarra Glen Primary School choir was there to sing the national anthem. Tom Steele, the bugler, a local from Dixons Creek was there. The Croydon Citizens Band, and as I have said, the Outer Eastern Melbourne Sub-Branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association were there, and many more were there for a poignant and moving service.

As the previous speaker—and, I am sure, speakers earlier in proceedings today—has indicated, the Vietnam War was a very hot spot in a long Cold War. It was a 10-year-long commitment that saw over 60,000 Australian troops serve their country, 500 losing their lives and thousands physically injured, and we know that many, many more came home with the unseen emotional scares of that war.

We reflected on Vietnam Veterans Day on the Battle of Long Tan, because it was the 46th anniversary of that significant battle that symbolised so much about the service of Australian troops in Vietnam. In the late afternoon, in torrential rain in a rubber plantation just off the Australian base at Nui Dat, Australian troops, significantly outnumbered against the odds, prevailed in that battle.

One person who was not with us this Vietnam Veterans Day was one of the chopper pilots, Cliff Dohle, a local who performed with courage and valour in the Battle of Long Tan. Unfortunately, he passed away just a few years ago and, like all of those in that battle, did not receive due recognition until recently.

As previous speakers have indicated, for the Vietnam veterans the war was painful and coming home was painful. I think former Prime Minister John Howard summed it up five or six years ago when he said with candour that the entire Australian community failed our Vietnam veterans. As the member for Canberra eloquently just said, those veterans, their families and their children sometimes suffered vilification and abuse. Although the war was a controversial war—and it surely was—that was so unfair, because the quarrel was with the government of the day, not the troops who were doing their duty. It also has to be said that what also hurt was the general lack of support in the community for so long. I do not say this to rake over past events, but if we as a nation, in our local communities and in our electorates, can in a combined way resolve that that will never happen again then we will have gone a little way to helping with the healing.

Debate interrupted.