Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too feel very privileged to speak in this chamber about Vietnam Veterans Day. Originally, 18 August was a day that commemorated the Battle of Long Tan, which was in 1966, but it has now been adopted by all veterans. I wish to make a short contribution to these statements to acknowledge the Vietnam veterans in the electorate of Parkes and recognise the significance of the Battle of Long Tan. Some years ago, I read an account of the Battle of Long Tan in book form and I was very moved by the contribution that those few soldiers made, and the level of courage and resourcefulness that they showed in such overwhelming circumstances.

I would also like to acknowledge the atmosphere in the Australian community to which the Vietnam vets returned. I was a teenager at the time—I missed out on being in the ballot by a few years—but I was aware that they were treated differently and thought of differently by the wider public. I remember seeing on television some of the marches and some of the animosity towards the Vietnam vets. On one of the darkest days in Australia's history, Vietnam vets were flown into Mascot airport in the middle of the night, under cover. So I would like to mention today the hardships that they have faced and the fact that many of the Vietnam vets that I know personally have been profoundly affected. Some of the vets have managed to lead very resourceful lives but many have been affected by late-onset traumatic stress and have battled mental illness in their fifties and sixties.

I would also like to acknowledge, following on from the member for Hindmarsh's comments, the great role that the vets are doing now in looking after the veteran community. As the World War II and Korean War veterans are getting on in years, the returned services community in my electorate is run by Vietnam veterans. Apart from running the club, the vets do great work looking after war widows and looking out for each other, so I wanted to recognise the role that they play. Today I would also like to make special mention of the Dubbo Vietnam Veterans Association, of which I am the patron. It is one of the positions that I am most proud of. I hold it in such high regard that those members have asked me to be their patron. I hope that I can do justice to the great honour they have given me. In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge all Vietnam veterans around Australia on Vietnam Veterans Day, but particularly the veterans in the seat of Parkes.

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