John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence, I know that all members of the House will be aware of the recent return to Australia of the remains of two Australian soldiers killed in the Vietnam War in the 1960s. The funeral service for Lance Corporal Richard Parker is currently taking place in Canberra and is being attended by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, representing the government; and the funeral for Private Peter Gillson will be held in Melbourne on Friday of this week. This is an extraordinary story of commitment by mates of those who served in Vietnam coupled with a determination to fulfil the obligation that all men and women who fight in our armed services feel towards the recovery and, where appropriate, the repatriation of the remains of those who have died in battle.

On 18 November 1965, during Operation Hump, the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, encountered a well-dug-in Vietcong force. After a savage fight, 1RAR was forced to withdraw, leaving these two brave diggers on the battlefield. The story of the search for Lance Corporal Parker and Private Gillson is one of great mateship, perseverance and sacrifice in the best of the Anzac tradition. A remarkable and quite selfless Australian, Jim Bourke, and his dedicated Vietnam veteran team from Operation Aussies Home persisted tirelessly with their inquiries, their research and their advocacy to compile insights and evidence beyond historical material and official records. That perseverance ultimately led to the recovery of their fallen countrymen.

The search, I am pleased to say, also saw great cooperation between the Australian and Vietnamese governments. I record the gratitude of the Australian government to the Vietnamese government for its assistance. I want to thank, on behalf of the government and the House, Operation Aussies Home, the ADF, the Department of Defence, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, our Ambassador to Vietnam, Bill Tweddell, and the Defence Attache, Captain John Griffith, for their dedicated pursuit of the remains of our missing countrymen.

Four Australian servicemen are still missing in Vietnam. We are doing all that reasonably can be done to fully account for their remains. That is of great importance to their families, those who served with them, the broader defence family and all of the people of Australia. The repatriation of the remains of Lance Corporal Parker and Private Peter Gillson, attended with appropriate solemnity and dignity in a very proper Australian way, brings to an end the search that has been conducted for so long for them. We hope that in the fullness of time a search for the remains of the other four who are still missing can be brought to a similar conclusion. But it is important that we again record our great respect for those who served their country in Vietnam, indeed for those who serve their country in any theatre of battle, and also at a time like this we think of those thousands of Australians who are risking their lives in many battlefields at present in our name, on our behalf and for the values that we all hold dear.

I again express on behalf of the government and the House sincere condolences to the families of Lance Corporal Parker and Private Gillson. The repatriation ceremonies and the funerals this week, although very sad events, will be of immense importance to them and will be of immense comfort and solace to people who have waited so long to be reunited with the remains of their loved ones.

Honourable Members:

Hear, hear!

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again on indulgence, I associate the Labor Party with the Prime Minister’s remarks. Of course this nation always mourns its dead lost in battle, lost in defence of the nation, wherever they have served. We are here to mark the passing of Lance Corporal Richard Parker and Private Peter Gillson and the return of their remains to this country. I understand that the member for Bendigo, Steve Gibbons, and Graham Edwards were in attendance when the remains were brought back home.

As the Prime Minister has indicated, Richard Parker and Peter Gillson were both of A Company, 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, and they were both killed on 8 November 1965. These men, whose remains were recovered in the most recent operation, were killed in a fierce battle. Their comrades were unable to recover the bodies as a result of the intensity of enemy fire. But in a tireless effort since that time, Mr Jim Bourke, a Vietnam veteran himself, established Operation Aussies Home to bring closure by finding and returning the bodies of those missing from the Vietnam War. He did this together with his fellow veterans Gordon Petersen, who was Parker’s acting platoon commander; Trevor Hagan, his acting platoon sergeant during the battle; and Clive Williams, who was Gillson’s platoon commander. In what can only be described as an extraordinary extension of duty and loyalty, Jim Bourke and his mates led an investigation of the possible burial locations in 2005 for Lance Corporal Richard Parker and Private Peter Gillson. With help from Vietnamese authorities and veterans, the burial sites of these two soldiers were established earlier this year.

I acknowledge the Australian government’s financial assistance and also its diplomatic assistance to Operation Aussies Home. I refer in particular to the Ambassador to Vietnam, Bill Tweddell, and Defence Attache Captain John Griffith. We also acknowledge the Vietnamese government, Vietnamese veterans and local people who facilitated the recovery and the handover of the remains. The information provided by Vietnamese veterans of the battle and by locals was crucial to the discovery of the remains, as was the information provided by Australian veterans of the battle. Our gratitude goes to Jim Bourke and his team at Operation Aussies Home, but I also specifically acknowledge and pay tribute to the families of the two men whose remains were recovered. These include Private Gillson’s widow, Lorraine Easton, and her sons Robert and Craig, and Lance Corporal Parker’s former partner, Wendy Mudford.

On another matter, I also join with the Prime Minister in congratulating the Clerk, Ian Harris, on the good news from yesterday. Ian serves this parliament; he serves every member within it. The opposition relies on his services and advice, as does the government. It is a difficult job and one that does not bring day-to-day recognition, so it is terrific for the parliament to be able to mark this moment. Thank you very much, Ian.

Honourable Members:

Hear, hear!