Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

ANDRY () (): The 18th of August was Vietnam Veterans' Day. It was an honour to be invited to Cockscomb Veterans Bush Retreat to remember the soldiers who sacrificed so much and to lay a wreath to commemorate them. The 18th of August is also the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966, the largest single-unit battle fought in Vietnam by Australian soldiers. During the battle, 17 Australians were killed and a further 25 were wounded, one of whom later died of his wounds. This was the highest number of Australian casualties incurred in any one engagement of the Vietnam War.

Cockscomb is a wonderful place that provides a tranquil retreat away from the city for the veterans to go when they need some time to relax and spend time in quiet reflection. There is time to talk with others who have walked in their shoes, or sit in quiet contemplation, even laugh or cry with like-minded people who know the struggles of war.

I was a young girl when the Vietnam War happened, and, as much as I could know as a young person, we were made aware of the toll this war took on our country. But, years later, we have also become aware of the toll this war took on the soldiers who fought it. I was recently drawn to some words by John Schumann, who wrote the song 'I Was Only 19'. Schumann reminded us that the veterans came home to a bitterly divided country that did not want a bar of them, and sadly, these brave men fell through the cracks. Schumann said, 'Australians are fundamentally decent and fair, and over time we all looked back with shame at how we treated our Vietnam veterans'. We now understand that, when Australians come back from any form of combat that a government may send them to, we owe them all the help and support that we can muster. As has been said many times, they didn't count the cost, and neither should we.

Armed combat is the highest form of public service. Around 60,000 Australians served our country with honour in Vietnam. While at Cockscomb that day, I also thought of the thousands of mums, dads, wives, children, brothers, sisters and friends who had to help them pick up the pieces of their lives when they returned. I also thought of the more than 500 Australians who did not come home. Spending time with the wonderful veterans of Cockscomb is not only a treat on Vietnam Veterans' Day; it's a treat on any other day.

I was very happy to assist them in the delivery of a storage shed, which was left over from the Vietnam War, after Cyclone Marcia in 2015. The shed has now become a centrepiece of the retreat. It houses historical items from many conflicts. It keeps getting bigger, better and more diverse every time I visit. I want to thank the member for Gippsland for his help in acquiring the shed. His assistance was essential to seeing this historically significant structure in Cawarral for the public to enjoy. I wish them all the best in their plans for the future, and I can't wait to get back there.

As individuals, people may not always support Australia's participation in war, but we must at all times respect and support the men and women we send to fight that war.