As someone who has never served in our armed forces, I stand in humble awe of all who have – particularly, the decorated veterans I see before me.
Your Excellencies, Chief of the Defence Force, Opposition Leader, Minister, Parliamentary colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.
We gather today to remember those who served in the Vietnam War.
From the arrival of the Australian Army Training Team in 1962 to the final withdrawal of the Embassy guard 11 years later, over 60,000 Australians, including army, air force and navy personnel, served in Vietnam – 521 of them died.
Over 3,000 were wounded.
Many suffered unseen scars that 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.
It was at Long Tan that 108 Australian and New Zealand soldiers prevailed in the pouring rain against an estimated 2,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops.
As their commander Lieutenant Colonel Harry Smith said, “although nowhere near the same scale, Long Tan will be remembered alongside Kapyong, Tobruk and Gallipoli.”
As always, victory came at a high price.
Long Tan was the most costly action single action by Australian soldiers in Vietnam, with 18 dead and 24 wounded.
Courage, determination, resourcefulness and unflinching loyalty to mates marked that battle and, indeed, the entire 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 fire fights throughout that war, Australian soldiers proved themselves worthy successors to the Anzacs, as did our naval and air personnel who provided vital logistic support.
I regret to say that back home we did not always appreciate that at the time.
People were entitled to question the war, but they should never have doubted our soldiers.
Eventually we would see what was always true: that in you, was and is, the best of Australia.
Eventually we saw the duty, the courage, the integrity and the examples of men and women at their best.
That is what you were, and are.
Australia is proud of you and we honour you for your service to our country.
The former Chief of Army David Morrison observed that the soldiers who served in Vietnam laid the foundations for the modern professional Australian Army.
The friendship that now exists between Australia and Vietnam owes much to veterans determined to befriend their former foes as the Anzacs did two generations earlier.
Today, we remember all who served in the Vietnam War.
We remember those who died.
We remember those who were scarred physically and mentally.
We remember their families, and their loved ones, that suffered with them.
You did your duty.
You remain an example.
Your sacrifice should never be forgotten by the country you served.
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