Tribute to Vietnam veterans

By Contributed

Aug 20, 2024

It’s such a poignant scene — veterans weighed down with medals, memories and age, being helped to their feet for the Ode and national anthems, at Sunday’s annual Vietnam Veterans Day Commemorative Service.

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By the time the Ode had been read, the minute’s silence observed, and the Rouse and anthems played, it had been too long and too much for some and they were eased back into their seats by friends and family.

A crowd of almost 100 turned out at the Moama RSL Memorial Garden for the service — which marked the 58th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, a lifetime ago, explaining why some of the veterans were unable to remain on their feet.

But they were there, there for the memories of the mates who could not be, and never would be. The mates who never came home and the mates who have since died.

Moama RSL sub-branch president and Vietnam veteran Ken Jones spoke of the harsh conditions in which all the soldiers involved in that drawn-out war fought and died.

As well as Long Tan, he spoke about some of Australia’s biggest but lesser-known battles in Vietnam.

The crowd at Sunday’s Vietnam Veterans Day Commemorative Service in the Moama’s RSL Memorial Gardens. Photo by Contributed

“Long Tan was Australia’s first major battle there, and our bloodiest, but the defence of fire support bases Coral and Balmoral two years later was a much bigger and protracted action,” Mr Jones said.

“With Long Tan being named Australia’s official Vietnam Veterans Day it has evolved into the event in the minds of most Australians, but our troops fought a long and distinguished series of battles in our many years there.

“Which is why it was so pleasing to see so many people attend the service this morning and stay on for morning tea in the Fromelles Room to keep the connection going and to respect the men and women who went to Vietnam.”

Victorian Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh spoke about the program, which is supported by Moama RSL, to send local Year 11 students to walk the Kokoda Trail each year.

The flags being raised after the minute’s silence at Sunday’s Vietnam Veterans Day Commemorative Service. Photo by Contributed

Mr Walsh said with the support of Moama RSL, Moama Bowling Club, Swan Hill RSL, Freemasons Victoria and the Kyabram Club, five students from his electorate did the walk last month.

He says the program has been established to strengthen Australia’s history “with a generation all born in a different century and make sure the stories and the sacrifice is not forgotten”.

“As Ken Jones mentioned, we are seeing more and more young people attend major commemorations such as Anzac Day and Remembrance Day and today’s attendance is an encouraging sign more people are becoming more aware and engaged with our history,” Mr Walsh said.

“Our Kokoda program has been named the Colin Sinclair Scholarship after a Rochester soldier who fought and died in Papua New Guinea during the Kokoda campaign, and we will be sending another group of Year 11s in the 2025 Term 2 holidays.”