VIETNAM Veteran’s Day was commemorated on Sunday,
Rosewood RSL Sub-Branch’s service was well attended and bought together veterans, their families and members of the public, all wanting to pay their respects.
“We had about 50 to 60 people in attendance,” said Carmel Luetchford, the Sub-Branch secretary.
“It was a very emotional ceremony and from all reports from the people who attended, one of the best services they’d been to.”
She said guest speaker Ian Dainer spoke about his time in Vietnam.
“He was the last person out of Saigon before it fell to the Viet Cong,” she said.
“He was just 19 at the time and gave his account while [the song] ‘I Was Only 19’ played.
“Ian stayed back and let others take his place when a plane arrived to take them out of Saigon.
“He was [in Saigon] for four days before another plane arrived, the last one, to pick him up and take him home to Australia.”
As ceremonies throughout Australia are held annually, the number of Vietnam War veterans in attendance slowly dwindles.
“We had more veterans last year than this,” Carmel said.
“They are getting older, that’s why it’s so important to hear them speak about their experiences firsthand.
“Soon enough that will no longer be an option and it would be a shame to lose those experiences.”
The war’s human toll was 523 dead, 2,400 wounded and many more left with a legacy of PTSD and stress.
It’s this that is reflected on every year on August 18 during ceremonies at war memorials.
Last year, was the 50th since the end of Australia’s involvement in the War.
It also came with an apology from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who said, ‘we honour you, we thank you and we are so sorry it took so long as a nation to do so’.
All in all, 42,437 Australians served in the Army in South Vietnam, 3,310 Navy and 4,443 RAAF personnel.
There were also civilian surgical teams and civil aid teams provided by the Australian Government to add to those figures.
