A large crowd gathered for the commemoration service at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, with the Caribou flying at 1000 feet, a tribute to honour the memory of 521 diggers who lost their lives.

Vietnam Veterans Association president Ian Birch said it was pleasing to see so many people attending the service to honour the sacrifice of those who had served.

“Vietnam Veterans Day is commemorated on 18th August each year. The day was originally known as Long Tan Day, chosen to Commemorate the men of D Company, 6RAR who fought in the battle of Long Tan in 1966,” Mr Birch said.

On that day, 108 Australian and New Zealand soldiers fought against 2000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tan.

He said the Australian soldiers won after fighting in torrential rain for four hours. “They were nearly overrun, but were saved by a timely ammunition resupply, accurate artillery fire from the Australian base, and the arrival of reinforcements by armoured personnel carrier.”

Eighteen Australians lost their lives, with 24 wounded. Following a successful welcome home parade for Vietnam veterans in Sydney, in 1987, Long Tan Day became known as Vietnam Veterans Day. On behalf of the Vietnam Veterans Association Mr Birch thanked the nurses who tended to hundreds of soldiers in Vietnam.

Among them was Maureen Patch, who recalled the 12 months she spent in Vietnam as one of 43 Australian Army nursing sisters. 

“We left Australia knowing nothing,” Mrs Patch said.

“My first impression of Tan Son Nhat airport in Saigon was the excessive noise, the oppressive heat and the stench. I’ll never forget that.”

After flying to Vung Tau, south of Saigon in a Caribou, she had a day to settle in, before going on duty. “We wore starched veils, uniforms and seamed stockings. I think the starched uniforms actually gave the hospitals an air of normality.” 

She said while she can’t remember specific cases of the “horrific wounds from the mines, the bullets and the shrapnel”, she said service men were the best patients she had ever nursed.

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