Your Excellencies the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Major General Michael Jeffery and Mrs Marlena Jeffery
The Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the Hon Alan Griffin MP
The Hon Bronwyn Bishop MP, representing the Leader of the Opposition
The High Commissioner of New Zealand, our co-combatants in this action
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Veterans of the Battle of Coral and Balmoral
Families of those who gave their lives
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Welcome to this beautiful Canberra morning.
On this, our avenue of heroes.
In this country the Vietnam War is sometimes remembered not for what happened in Vietnam, but for what happened in Australia.
Today, I want to say that the Australian Government remembers what happened in Vietnam with our men and women in uniform.
The Government remembers the sacrifice of those who fought.
The Government remembers the ultimate sacrifice of those who fell.
And we remember with pride the qualities displayed by our men and women who served in Vietnam.
Australia's defence forces served with great distinction through the Vietnam War.
As did their father's before them, and as did their father's before them, in previous conflicts, all wearing, proudly, the uniform of Australia.
You - the veterans here today - upheld all the great traditions that are ANZAC.
60,000 Australians served in Vietnam.
520 gave their lives in Vietnam.
And many others still their lives scarred by that conflict.
The battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral were the largest and longest series of actions of the war for Australian forces.
Today the nation pauses to mark the 40th anniversary of those battles.
Coral and Balmoral has become a part - an important part - of Australian military history.
It was a large action, it was a long action, it was a bloody action.
It was strategically significant.
And it was an action costly in the lives of the brave young Australians - Regulars and Nashos - who gave, literally, their all.
A couple of months ago I went to the Australian War Memorial to open the new gallery for conflicts from 1945 to the present.
One of the battles that is commemorated in that gallery is Coral and Balmoral.
I saw the Howitzer from Fire Support Base Coral there in the gallery.
It is the No.6 Howitzer from the gun pit at Coral that was overrun on that first night of fighting.
The gun pit that was, in true Australian fashion, retaken soon after and the gun reclaimed.
It says a lot about the way you fought, it says a lot about the way in which you died. Always looking to go on the offensive, never turning back.
This was but one action in a long and tough battle. A battle “like looking death in the eyes” according to one veteran from the engagement.
When you look through the combat diaries from 1 RAR and 3 RAR for May, you get a feel for the level of the engagement - day and night, week in, week out heavy enemy action.
Patrols and contacts.
Sniper fire and mortar attacks.
Mass attacks against both fire support bases.
At one stage the order was issued to fix bayonets to advance on the enemy. And through it all, you, the troops, displayed all that is great and good about Australia's defence force.
Not everyone returns from war and the battle of Coral and Balmoral it was the same. 26 brave young Australians lost their lives, men in the prime of their lives - 11 Regulars and 15 Nashos.
Today we honour the memory of the fallen. Today they are our silent partners in this great national reflection.
Though their families are with us still I would say this to them. We honour your loss and we thank you for their sacrifice. We also honour the veterans here with us today, from that great battle.
We have not always been good at thanking our Vietnam veterans.
In fact at, times we've been very bad at it.
The time has well and truly come to turn the page and to turn the corner.
To thank you all on behalf of a grateful nation for doing your duty to the nation.
After the first engagements then Lieutenant Colonel Philip Bennett, Commanding Officer of 1RAR sent around a message to all units involved saying: “We will all remember this day with pride in our achievements”.
Lieutenant Colonel, now General Bennett was absolutely right. You should be proud of your achievements.
We are proud of your achievements, we are proud of your achievements in the profession of arms.
So, on this, the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Fire support Bases Coral and Balmoral, let us never forget our men and women in uniform.
Those who have worn the uniform and those who still in conflicts abroad wear the uniform today.
Because there is no higher calling in this great nation of Australia, than to wear our nation's uniform.