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

I rise to speak in recognition of our Vietnam veterans and the contributions that returned service men and women have made to our community, and to specifically speak about Vietnam Veterans Day, which is celebrated on 18 August each year and commemorates the Battle of Long Tan and the Australians who served in the Vietnam War. The 45th Vietnam Veterans Day was recently honoured at the Kirra Sports Club within my electorate of McPherson. More than 200 Vietnam veterans from across the Gold Coast attended the service to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.

McPherson does have a very large veteran community and the Vietnam veterans certainly form a significant proportion of that community. Our Vietnam veterans should never have had to wait 15 years after the end of the war to get the recognition they deserve. This has been a huge disappointment for the veteran community as a whole. The sacrifices that these men and women made for our community should have never been forgotten.

The Battle of Long Tan was one of the most incredible and bold encounters by Australian troops. During the attack, 108 diggers and six Royal Australian Regiment members successfully held off 2½ thousand Vietcong in a rubber plantation in South Vietnam. Eighteen Australians were killed in this battle and 24 were wounded. Once the fighting had ceased, more than 245 bodies from the enemy were found on the battle ground. I am deeply sorry for the families of the 18 men who did not return after the Battle of Long Tan. These men should never be forgotten and Australia should continue to pay its respects to the fallen.

Two of my uncles were part of the Vietnam War story. One uncle served as a cook with the RAAF. I recall him telling me of his arrival by helicopter in Vietnam and being shot at as they were coming in to land. As a cook, I know that he would have got to know many of the men and women who served in Vietnam, some of whom were wounded and some who never came home. My other uncle was caught up in the national service birthday ballot. Under the national service scheme operating at the time, 20-year-old men were required to register for national service. As there were more eligible men than required, the men were subject to a ballot. If their birth date was drawn out then it was possible that they would be required to serve two years continuous service in the regular Army following by three years part-time service in the Army Reserve. I remember my mother being so concerned that her younger brother might be sent to active service in Vietnam, and whilst that did not happen to him, the memory of my mother's tears remain with me today. I can understand the concerns of the families of our service men and women as they wave farewell to their loved ones, never quite knowing if they will return. As I have mentioned many times before in this place, I have the privilege of representing an electorate with a large veteran community on the southern Gold Coast. It is not only the returned servicemen that deserve recognition; I would also like to extend my gratitude for the support given to these veterans by their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, partners and children when these veterans returned home.

I would also like to mention that these veterans also believed that one of the greatest achievements to come from the Vietnam War was returning home to raise their families. After all that they endured during the battles in Vietnam, these men and women continued to push past many mental and physical barriers to live positive lives with their loved ones. This in itself is a great achievement and one which the veteran community to this day are most proud of.

I urge all members of the community to share the story of the Battle of Long Tan so that the great sacrifices and achievements of these men and women will continue to be remembered in the generations to come. Lest we forget.

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