Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Sunday, I had the a honour of attending a service at the Geelong war memorial. It was a memorial for Vietnam Veterans Day, which is this Friday. On 18 August 1966, 108 Australian and New Zealand men of Delta Company 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment were on patrol in South Vietnam near the abandoned village of Long Tan and they found themselves in contact with an enemy force of 2,000 enemy soldiers. Facing overwhelming odds in horrendous conditions, the bravery and gallantry they showed made the Battle of Long Tan became one of the iconic Australian stories of the Vietnam War. Long Tan now stands as an exemplar of Australian soldiers displaying the bravery, teamwork and endurance shown at Anzac Cove, Tobruk, and Kapyong. There are soldiers from this battle living in and around the country, including the Geelong region, and we remain ever thankful for their service.

As we approach 51 years since the Battle of Long Tan, it is easy for time to dim the lessons of Vietnam for those who did not serve. Time does not have the same effect on veterans. They remember their mates, their loneliness, their fear, their loss, their duty to each other and, most importantly, their desire to come home. As a country, we haven't done as well as we should have for these veterans when they did return home. Many Vietnam veterans were forced to look after their own and to help out their mates. The Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia was formed to provide the mutual support and advocacy many veterans needed to tackle the physical and mental challenges they faced. Geelong was amongst the first associations established in Australia, and it remains a strong organisation contributing to the community.

In 1987, following the long overdue welcome home parade for Vietnam veterans, then Prime Minister Bob Hawke decreed Vietnam Veterans Day a key commemorative activity in the national calendar. This recognised the long march veterans and their families faced to garner national support and respect for their sacrifice. Falling on the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, it serves as the focal day to acknowledge and pay respects to all those who served in all theatres of Vietnam from 1962 to 1975.

I am honoured to stand here to commemorate Geelong and Australia's Vietnam veterans and thank them for the legacy of their efforts in the years since returning home. Our war commemorations are never about glorifying war. They are about remembering—remembering what it means to sacrifice for friendship, for family and for country; remembering the men and women who have devoted and continue to devote their lives not to themselves but to us all. Remembering the debt of gratitude is measured by our actions long after the last shots are fired. I acknowledge Commander Sam Woolrych, who is in the chamber today with me as part of the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program. I am indebted to him for preparing this speech.