Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday 2 February my wife Vicki and I attended the 50th anniversary reunion gala dinner of the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, held at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. It was a national event with attendees from around the country. Dignitaries included the South Australian Governor, His Excellency Kevin Scarce, and Mrs Scarce, and the event was superbly emceed by Adelaide ABC radio personality and friend of the defence veterans community in Adelaide, Peter Goers.

The 4th RAR was established at Woodside in Adelaide in 1964 after the commencement of the Vietnam War. The battalion completed two tours of duty in Vietnam, the first commencing in 1968 and the second in 1971. Not surprisingly, many of the people present at the dinner were Vietnam War veterans. The 4th RAR military involvement was not limited to Vietnam; it has also been associated with deployments in Malaysia, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. Vietnam was nevertheless central to the reunion dinner and artist Ross Morgan was commissioned to paint what he thought best depicted the Vietnam war. He chose to paint a Chinook helicopter, and the painting was donated as a major prize on the night.

Australia's engagement in Vietnam was very different from other conflicts, not just because of the end result but also because of the controversial nature of the conflict and the political arguments both for and against our involvement. It was a war which divided our nation and left so much pain and suffering with so many Australian families. With few Australians left from the World War I and World War II eras, Vietnam has become the war that so many Australians can now identify with. Vietnam veterans are present in just about every community around the country. For so many of those veterans the suffering continues, particularly with respect to post-traumatic stress disorder.

As with all wars, Vietnam had its own uniqueness about it, and that uniqueness was very much associated with conscription, horrendous jungle warfare, the use of chemicals and a considerable loss of life and injury. Nothing encapsulates Australia's participation in the Vietnam war better than John Schumann's classic song I was only 19. At the reunion dinner, John sang a moving mention of the song, undoubtedly bringing back memories to the veterans present and receiving a standing ovation for his performance. I note that the song has now been produced in the form of a children's book, which was launched in Adelaide this week. It will be a terrific educational book. The term mateship is often used in association with defence personnel and the Australian identity. I can think of no better demonstration of mateship than that which exists amongst our Vietnam veterans. That is why the reunion dinner was so important and meant so much to those who were able to attend. It was about getting together with mates—people who meant so much to each other at such a crucial time of their lives and whom they will never forget even if they have since gone their separate ways.

Organising the 50th anniversary reunion dinner was of itself a huge commitment and I applaud the organising committee of Wayne Langford, Malcolm Love, Rod and Corrina Harris, Matthew Swan, Richard Scurrell, Jack Campbell and the Hon. Dorothy and Brian Kotz. I also acknowledge the entertainers on the night, Acoustic Juice, Linda McCarthy and the band of the10th/27th Battalion RSAR, whose music choice and superb performances hit a chord with everyone present. It was an honour for Vicki and me to have been invited guests on the night, and we had a fantastic time not only mingling with so many of the people we knew but also simply being part of a national event. The next national reunion dinner will be hosted by Townsville in 2017. There were people from Townsville in Adelaide and they committed to ensuring that that will also be a wonderful night for those who are able to get there. I extend my best wishes to the organising committee for the Townsville event in 2017.