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Brisbanetimes --> Vietnam veterans coming home for reburial – half a century after they died


Corporal Bob Bowtell. Photo: Supplied

Quote
Vietnam diggers finally coming home

Corporal Robert Bowtell died aged 25 fighting in the Vietnam war. Half a century later his remains will finally be brought home to Australia along with more than 20 other soldiers.

Her husband Corporal Bob Bowtell died from carbon monoxide poisoning after exploring a Viet Cong tunnel at Ben Cat on January 11, 1966.

She didn't have the £500 the army said it would cost to bring his body back to Australia so he was buried at a "halfway home", the Commonwealth cemetery called Terendak in Malaysia.

But in just over three weeks and just over half a century later, his remains will finally return home for reinterment.

Along with some 20 other Vietnam veterans from Terendak and one from a Singapore cemetery, they will arrive at RAAF Base Richmond and be received in a formal military ceremony. This will be immediately followed by a private memorial service for the families of those being reunited with their loved ones. A recipient of the Victoria Cross and one other casualty are not believed to be among them.

Josephine Bowtell, Michael and sisters Sue and Cassandra and brother Peter will be with other families to watch the coffins carried down the steps to the tarmac. Corporal Bowtell will be buried the following day with the son he never met, also named Robert, at North Ryde.

It has taken a change.org campaign signed by more than 40,000 people to force what will be one of Australia's largest repatriations. The families still don't understand why, when the rest of the total of 521 casualties of the Vietnam War were returned, their loved ones remained behind.

Michael Bowtell, 55, of Orange, and battling to control his emotion, said his father died as part of Operation Crimp.

"They were looking for the headquarters of the Viet Cong and it turned out they landed on the headquarters," he said. "It just went messy from there.

"I heard it was going to cost £500. Mum had three kids, was carrying the fourth and the army had taken her accommodation away from her. Her priorities needed to be somewhere else."

When his mother first heard about the "Bring them Home" campaign her response was to leave him there at peace, he said.

"I think she has changed her mind purely for my siblings' sake because they expressed an interest to bring him back."

Asked about the emotions surrounding the repatriation, he added: "I can't help but think about the return as a coping mechanism. I think we all have kept a lot bottled up. Bob's return will be a great release."

Back in the country he fought for

Jan Sullivan, of Eagleby, south of Brisbane, will travel to RAAF Base Richmond to see her brother Neville Horne return with a burial at Rookwood the next day. At their family home in Campsie during the Vietnam War, her parents, Tom and Edna Horne, had six other children to feed so money was also tight.

Ms Sullivan said the military sent photos of Neville's actual burial, and of the coffin being carried.

"The day after Neville was buried was the day the government informed the Australian public that all the deceased soldiers would be brought back. That didn't go down very well," she said.

"It killed mum not having Neville. She used to write eight pages twice a day to him. Before he passed away he sent a parcel which took quite a while to get back to Australia. She didn't receive that parcel until after Neville had passed away and that was extremely hard on her."

She said her brother died immediately having been hit by a sniper and that she had been assured by his mates that he didn't suffer in any way.

"He will be buried only about five minutes away from where mum is buried," she said.

"I'm just so grateful that this is happening. I am grateful to the Australian public and to everyone that signed that petition and to Bob Shewring from the Vietnam Veterans' Association of Australia who organised it. All the families will be indebted to him forever.

"Mum would be absolutely elated that he'll be back in the country that he fought for."

In May 2015, then prime minister Tony Abbott announced an offer of repatriation to the families of 35 Australian service personnel and dependants.

A spokesman for Minister for Veterans' Affairs Dan Tehan said the government made an offer of repatriation to the families of 24 Australian service personnel from the Vietnam War, three other soldiers and eight dependants of soldiers who died while they were based at Terendak, and to the family of a Vietnam War soldier buried in Kranji War Cemetery in Singapore.

More than 30 families had accepted the offer he said.

The campaign was started by Bob Shewring, a fellow Vietnam veteran, and after years of research into the reasons why the only Vietnam veteran killed in action from the Northern Territory and the others were buried in Terendak Christian Cemetery located in Malaysia's largest military base. It was his response to being told by the government that a request to have that veteran, Reg Hillier, repatriated to Australia had been turned down yet again.

Mr Shewring said to his mates "Stuff them, let's bring them all home", thus commencing Operation "Bring Them Home".
Widow never saw his grave

Ken Smith and his brother Eddie Smith will be at RAAF Base Richmond to collect their younger brother, Corporal Frank Smith, who will be buried in Ouyen Cemetery in Victoria on June 9.

He said his mother was in hysterics when she got the news. There were three girls and five boys in their family. Corporal Smith, aged 25 when he was hit by a sniper, was the youngest. The family couldn't understand why the army wouldn't bring him home.

"When they took the national servicemen over there they changed their policy. We couldn't have national servicemen being killed over there and buried there," he said.

"My mother never got to the grave. She died in 1968.

The brothers said they went to Ouyen Cemetery six months ago to get the grave sorted out.

"I couldn't get Frank all that close to our parents but the grave is facing east, facing the rising sun," he said. "That was his army emblem, the rising sun.

"I don't feel any anger. Frank was a professional soldier. He used to call himself a hired gun for the government. He loved the army."
Widow now 82 welcomes husband's homecoming

Marie Hanley, 82, will be one of only a few widows still alive to see their husband finally brought home. Warrant Officer Max Hanley was in a firefight in his platoon when they became overrun by North Vietnam forces. In the end he was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Mrs Hanley, who had regretted not bringing him home ever since, said she was very grateful to the government for repatriating her husband.

"I am pleased that now his family will be able to visit his grave and that includes 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren," she said.

Son Steve Hanley, who lives in Kureelpa on the Sunshine Coast, was 9½ when the news came. He said he remembered the arrival of an army car and a chaplain

"It [the repatriation] has certainly rattled the skeletons in the family cupboard. It has created a whole heap of stuff that I guess has been suppressed.

"With this coming up all those raw emotions are coming to the surface and my feeling is that this will be the beginning of healing. It isn't going to be closure."

R. I. P . Lest we forget ...

Twitter

Bitter Stu ‏@SoleCrowleSoul 6m

"For the Fallen" 91 111 at Edinburgh Waverley this afternoon. Brilliantly detailed.

 

Repatriation of Australian servicemen --> http://video.defence.gov.au/play/4697#

Repatriation of Australian servicemen (1.18 mins)

Two Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster aircraft lifted off from Subang airport in Malaysia today bringing home the remains of 33 Australian service personnel and dependents, many of whom were casualties of the Vietnam War, from cemeteries in Malaysia and Singapore. Vice Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, AO, CSC, RAN, and Australian Army soldiers from Lavarack Barracks in Townsville flew to Malaysia to escort the Australians home. The 33 Australian service personnel and dependants will arrive at RAAF Base Richmond in Sydney on Thursday, 2 June 2016, where a formal military repatriation ceremony will be held. Malaysian Armed Forces personnel paid their respects to the Australians with a ceremonial guard to farewell them on their final journey home. The repatriation, being organised by the Office of Australian War Graves, will be one of the largest single repatriations of Australian servicemen and dependents in our history. On 25 May 2015, the Australian Government offered to repatriate 36 Australian service personnel and dependants from Terendak Military Cemetery in Malaysia and Kranji Cemetery in Singapore. The families of 33 service personnel and dependents accepted the offer.

Twitter

DeptDefenceAustralia ‏@DeptDefence 4 minutes ago

Repatriation Ceremony at RAAF Base Richmond #YourADF http://video.defence.gov.au/play/4700#

Couriermail Quest --> 52 years after he was killed in the Vietnam War, Warrant Officer Class II Kevin Conway has returned home



Vietnam serviceman Kevin Conway (R) was buried for the fourth time on Monday, June 6, 2016, after his body was exhumed in Vietnam and then twice in Singapore.

QuoteTHE body of the first Australian killed in the Vietnam War has finally been returned to his family — 52 years after his death.

On July 6, 1964, Wellington Point soldier Warrant Officer Class II Kevin Conway was killed during battle at Nam Dong.

Yesterday, he was returned to the Redlands and buried in an official service at Cleveland Cemetery in front of family, friends and Vietnam Veterans representatives. It is the fourth and final resting place for Warrant Officer Conway whose body was previously exhumed in Vietnam and then twice in Singapore.

Warrant Officer Conway was the only Australian serviceman attached to a United States Special forces team A-726, at Camp McBride, at Nam Dong.

He and US Master Sergeant Gabriel Alamo fought from a mortar position just outside the camp's main gate during a 700-strong Vietcong attack. The men were found dead at their posts following heavy attack from small arms rifle fire and hand grenades.

Kevin George Conway was born in 1928 and grew up in Wellington Point ...

DVA E-news

Commemorating 50 years since the Battle of Long Tan



The commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan and Australia's service in the Vietnam War will be an important event in DVA's Century of Service commemoration program for 2016.

Vietnam was Australia's longest involvement in a twentieth century war with approximately 60,000 personnel serving over more than a decade.

One of the most significant Australian actions of the Vietnam War happened on 18 August 1966, when Australian soldiers fought against a Viet Cong and North Vietnamese force estimated at more than 2,000 in a rubber plantation close to the village of Long Tan.

They were supported by Artillery, RAAF Helicopters and Armoured Personnel Carriers.

Eighteen Australians lost their lives as a result of the Battle of Long Tan and 24 were wounded. This was the largest number of casualties sustained in one operation since the Australian Task Force had arrived in South Vietnam earlier that year.

In conjunction with ex-service organisations such as the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia and others, a number of commemorative activities to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan and Australia's service in the Vietnam War will be held in Canberra and Brisbane.

These activities include the following public events:

The Australian War Memorial will run a number of activities and performances over 17 and 18 August commemorating both the Battle of Long Tan and Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. Further details can be found on the AWM website at http://www.awm.gov.au

On 18 August, commemorations in Canberra will commence with a dawn 'Stand To' service at the Australian War Memorial.

Following this, a National Service of Commemoration will be held at the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial on Anzac Parade in Canberra.

In addition to these commemorations, the Government will host a Parliamentary Reception in Canberra for invited veterans and guests on 17 August, and there will be a commemorative parade by 6 RAR for veterans of the Battle of Long Tan at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane on the afternoon of 18 August.

Queensland Times --> Silkstone's 'Doc' Dobson takes his final salute


Corporal Phillip 'Doc' Dobson was described by other veterans as a 'hero' after the Battle of Long Tan in August 1966.
Courtesy of Dobson family

QuoteIf you had asked Phill 'Doc' Dobson about his Army service, and he would have said he was just doing his job, but to the wounded soldiers he tended on the battlefields of Vietnam, he was a hero.

A veteran of the famous 'Battle of Long Tan', Mr Dobson, or Corporal as he was then, looked after 23 wounded soldiers of Delta Company, 6 Royal Australian Regiment, in Australia's biggest land battle of the Vietnam War.

Mr Dobson was farewelled by family and friends in a moving service at Wacol's Centenary Gardens on Friday, with many of his surviving comrades attending the service to pay their last respects.

Joe and Katrina Dobson read a tribute to their father, saying he was their hero.

"A father is a son's first teacher and a daughter's first love, that is true," Mr Dobson said.

"He was my hero, a man who wholeheartedly and tirelessly devoted himself to the betterment of others."

A handyman at home, Joe Dobson said his father's greatest work was in crafting the lives of others.

Mr Dobson joined the Army on September 24 1962, serving until his discharge on September 23, 1968, with rank of Corporal, Temporary Sergeant.

He was posted to Vietnam with D Company of 6RAR, from June 4 1966 until April 3, 1967.

Lieutenant-Colonel Harry Smith, who served as the Major in charge of D Company in 1966, spoke of Mr Dobson's bravery in tending to wounding soldiers in the middle of the battle.

""The fire from the enemy was thousands and thousands of tracer rounds coming at us and going over my head and back over the aid post area," he said.

"Unless we had the medical orderlies, the wounded wouldn't have survived. He was a wonderful, quiet, humble man, and not only at Long Tan."

Other veterans shared their memories of Mr Dobson with the QT.

Platoon commander Geoff Kendall said Mr Dobson continued to care for he wounded after the battle.

"He was going to all the unconscious men, and putting a safety clip between their lip and their tongue, to stop them swallowing their tongue," Mr Kendall said.

"He was treating the wounded as rounds were still flying, it was almost certain death to stand up."

Russ Smith summed up his friend as being 'a great guy'.

John Heslewood said they all met when the new recruits arrived in December 1965.

"He was already there, he was a professional soldier, we formed D Company and trained for nine months, he trained us all in medical basics, we all had to know a bit about it." he said.

"He was the Company Medical Officer, he was always there to help, he always had a laugh and a smile, he was a great mate.

"I have no doubt he saved a lot of lives in that 12 months."

Corporal Phillip Ness Dobson was born in Carlton, Victoria on May 25, 1941, and passed away on July 10.

CPL Phillip Dobson RAAMC - RIP Digger ... Lest We Forget

ABC News --> Long Tan veterans fight for gallantry awards as 50th anniversary approaches

Key points

    Just over 100 Australian soldiers from D Company 6RAR held off 2,000 Viet Cong troops on 18th August 1966
    17 Australian soldiers lost their lives
    20 soldiers were recommended for bravery awards after the battle but that was cut to 8 by officials in Canberra
    D Company commander, Harry Smith, has been campaigning for greater recognition of the actions of soldiers in the battle


Jack Kirby during his service in Vietnam
Harry Smith wants the distinguished conduct medal awarded to former member of D company, Jack Kirby, upgraded to a Victoria Cross for his courage during the Battle of Long Tan.

QuoteVeterans of the Battle of Long Tan say their campaign for better recognition of their achievements is about to come to an end.

A Defence tribunal is expected to hand down its decision on whether to grant additional gallantry awards before the battle's 50th anniversary on August 18.

"This is the last roll of the dice," says Ian Campbell, who is one of 13 soldiers who were denied a recommended gallantry award back in 1966.

Leading the fight for additional honours is the commander of the Long Tan company, Harry Smith, who was awarded the Star of Gallantry.

"People said to me I should let it go," he told 7.30.

"But to me, I wasn't the hero, my soldiers were the heroes."

The Battle at Long Tan in a rubber plantation in Phuoc Tuy province, South Vietnam, could have been an Australian military disaster.

Just over 100 soldiers were isolated, low on ammunition and outnumbered by Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) soldiers 20 to 1.

But against the odds, the men of D Company 6RAR, with the help of heavy artillery support, won the day.

"I must admit it was only after we got out of the battlefield at midnight, I was sitting in the back of an APC I said to myself, I'm still alive - I don't believe it," Harry Smith recalls.

The full extent of D Company's military achievement wasn't realised until the day after the battle.

"I couldn't believe the number of enemy bodies that were there," says Harry Smith.

"It was like a gigantic mixing machine that cut all their bodies in pieces, the artillery fire that landed on them."

In the three hours of close combat and artillery bombardment, 17 Australian soldiers lost their lives. The Viet Cong and NVA lost hundreds.

"The victory at Long Tan was important strategically," says historian Ernie Chamberlain.

"A boost to the Americans because it was the biggest victory to date, that is August of 1966, in South Vietnam.

But in the weeks after the battle, Harry Smith felt cheated.

His initial list of 20 recommendations for bravery honours — in a war that was becoming increasingly unpopular back in Australia — was cut back to 8.

Some of the men were awarded South Vietnamese honours, but under the policy at the time they couldn't be accepted and instead they were given dolls and cigar boxes.

"I said to Colonel Townsend, this is a ridiculous situation," Harry Smith recalls.

"He said there's nothing you can do about it, Smith, the awards are secret and it's a 30 years secrecy period — it was all done at a higher level."

That higher level, according to historian Ernie Chamberlain, involved officials in Canberra.

"A decision was made ... that the conflict in Vietnam in 1966 was not as intense as the conflict had been in Korea," he explains.

"So the scale, the ratio of medals was cut almost in half."

But Harry Smith was patient.

In the 1990s he began a process that led to several awards being upgraded in 2008, and culminated in a special Defence hearing last year into why 13 Long Tan soldiers had been refused gallantry awards.

Call for VC for Jack Kirby

Harry Smith wants the distinguished conduct medal awarded to former member of D company, Jack Kirby, upgraded to a Victoria Cross for his courage during the Battle of Long Tan.

One of the most contentious cases is that of Sergeant Major Jack Kirby. He was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal, but Harry Smith wants it upgraded to a Victoria Cross.

"When the enemy were assaulting in suicidal waves, Jack Kirby moved around the battlefield without regard to his own safety," Harry Smith recalls.

"His main job in action was to distribute ammunition."

Jack Kirby was killed in an artillery accident several months after the Battle of Long Tan, and his widow Bev Knight appreciates Harry Smith's efforts.

"I just admire that man for his continual drive, his resilience to hang in there, when it would have been so easy to give up," she said.

"Whether it's to be or not to be, I don't know. But Harry will be able to go to his grave knowing he did the very best he could.

"I hope for Jack's sake it can come through because he was pretty special, he really was special, and you never forget it, and it never dulls."

2 Field Ambulance RAAMC (In Vietnam)

ABC News --> Daring deeds of World War II commandos Z Special Unit kept secret for 30 years


Group portrait of British and Australian Army, Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy members of Z Special Unit on Morotai in September 1945.
Supplied: Australian War Memorial

QuoteFor 30 years members of Australia's World War II commando Z Special Unit were sworn to secrecy and their heroism unacknowledged.

But recently there has been growing recognition of the specialist reconnaissance and sabotage unit the Australian Army credits as the foundation for the modern Special Air Services Regiment or SAS.

In 1943, in what is regarded by many as the most successful clandestine military operation ever — Operation Jaywick — a team of 14 Z Special Unit commandos paddled into Singapore harbour in kayaks and attached limpet mines to Japanese enemy shipping.

The stealthy raiders sank seven ships or 39,000 tonnes before escaping home to Australia undiscovered.

Over the course of the war, the 70-foot wooden-hulled boat involved in the Jaywick raid, MV Krait, sank more shipping than any other ship in the Australian navy.

Former Z Special operative Douglas Herps said the strain of the missions had been "horrendous".

"They travelled thousands of miles in enemy occupied territory. The men got out of the boat and paddled canoes for hundred miles into Singapore.

"They did their job, got out and found the Krait again after two weeks.

"Think about these men — they did not know if they were going to be picked up.

"The Krait was a little 70-foot boat and it sank more shipping than cruisers with 800 men on board."

He said only the military's top brass knew of the unit's existence.

"The unit was under the control of General Thomas Blamey, the Prime Minister (John) Curtin and Douglas MacArthur, who was the American general in charge of the whole operation," Mr Herps said.

"They were the only people plus a couple of the senior staff in the Australian Army that knew about Z Special Unit.

"We never had any colour patches at all.

"After the war we just let other people talk about it.

"If you talk to a true Z fellow he wouldn't know what his mates did.

"We just know what we did ourselves and even then I don't like talking about it now."

In a subsequent mission to Jaywick called Operation Rimau, the raiding party was detected by the enemy, hunted down and executed.

Seventeen of Z Special Unit lie in graves at Kranji War Cemetery in Singapore.

In Operation Copper eight men landed on an island off New Guinea to disable enemy guns before the Allied landing.

Discovered by the Japanese, three commandos were captured, tortured and executed.

Four others escaped and fled out to sea, but only one made it home.

Former Z Special Operative Jack Tredrea parachuted into Borneo on March 25, 1945, and spent seven months on the island gathering intelligence.

"We trained on Frasier Island for a year. We had to learn to speak Malay.

"We did our jump into Borneo four months before the invasion to organise the native population.

"We trained 2,000 of them and when the invasion came we had 32 operatives each with their own guerrilla force."

"We were guerrillas, so all our work was hit and run.

"If we couldn't kill everyone in a patrol, we killed as many as we could and then vanished back into the jungles again.

"A lot of the four-man, six-man, eight-man operations were done from those Japanese fishing boats where they infiltrated an island operated by the Japanese.

"They were were picked up at a later date.

"Quite a few failed but that was the name of the game."

Z Special Unit was assembled from mainly Australian, British, Dutch and New Zealand members but it also recruited fighters of Timorese and Indonesian heritage.

WWII historian and former naval officer Dr Tom Lewis said the group's composition was unique during the time of the White Australia policy.

"There were a number of different nationalities who would bring different skills," he said.

Z Special Unit was the subject of an SBS documentary series Australia's Secret Heroes which featured interviews with original Z members — and put descendents of the operatives through the unit's arduous training.

Sworn to secrecy, Z veterans were not allowed to tell anyone of their experiences until 1980.

"At the end of the war when we were discharged out of Z Special Unit the operatives had to sign a secrets act," Mr Tredrea said.

"It was so they would not discuss what they did for 30 years.

"It was not until 1980 at a national reunion in Melbourne that we knew what the next guy did."

ABC News --> Long Tan veterans to receive gallantry awards 50 years after battle


Colonel Harry Smith in Nui Dat in the war. Photo: Lt Col Harry Smith has sought to get recognition for Battle of Long Tan. (Supplied: Colonel Harry Smith)

Sunday Mail  --> Soldier's long wait for justice for his comrades at Long Tan


A Digger wounded in battle is treated by his mates

Battle of Long Tan Documentary - Sam Worthington - Vietnam War

1 hour 41 minutes

https://www.facebook.com/battleoflongtan/?fref=nf

Battle of Long Tan
6 August at 10:00

Some great news, although we don't know if all of these final 13 medals, which Lt Col Harry Smith SG MC has been fighting for, will be awarded, including a posthumous Victoria Cross for Delta Company, 6RAR's Company Sergeant Major Jack Kirby.

Veterans' Affairs Minister Dan Tehan will announce the gallantry awards alongside Lt Col Harry Smith and Mark Sullivan, the chair of the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal on 10 August 2016. Details of which medals will be awarded is being kept confidential until then.

Veteran's Affairs Minister Dan Tehan called Harry Smith last week and asked him to come to Canberra for the media conference on 10 August where they will make the announcement. They have not told Harry how many and which medals will be awarded.

It is important to note that these awards are simply overturning the rejection of the original citations made by Lt Col Harry Smith in 1966. In other words, these are not "new" awards but only the restoration of awards which were 'put in the bin' due to the quota system at the time and because higher ranking officers were unwilling to accept the submission of these citations.

Hopefully this will be the final chapter in Harry Smith's 30+ year fight to get the proper recognition for all of his men, especially those who went beyond the call of duty in the Battle of Long Tan 50 years ago.

> http://defence-honours-tribunal.gov.au/home/battle-of-long-tan-applications-for-review/

News.com.au --> Awards for Long Tan veterans announced

QuoteAhead of the 50th anniversary of one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War, military honours or upgrades for 10 soldiers who fought in the Battle of Long Tan are a pen stroke away.

Minister for Veterans Affairs Dan Tehan on Wednesday announced he would write to the prime minister seeking approval to accept recommendations from the Defence Honours Appeals Tribunal about 13 soldiers.

The tribunal did not recommend a Victoria Cross for the late Warrant Officer Class 2 Jack Kirby.

Well deserved.


The three Platoon Commanders in D Coy, 6RAR. L to R Geoff Kendall (10 Pl), Gordon Sharp (11 Pl KIA) and David Sabben (12 Pl). Jack Kirby seen between Kendall and Sharp
http://www.bobbuick.com/viet_nam/

News.com.au --> Justice after fight for Long Tan honours

QuoteLong Tan commander Harry Smith has claimed a partial victory in his fight to have the heroism and sacrifice of his men honoured 50 years after one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Harry Smith, 83, has campaigned for decades to rectify deficiencies in what he believed was a shambolic system for military awards.

He was commander of Delta company during the Battle of Long Tan and was not satisfied with the level of recognition awarded to soldiers at the time.

The Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal was tasked with considering the cases of 13 of his soldiers.

Veterans Affairs Minister Dan Tehan announced on Wednesday he would write to the prime minister and governor-general seeking approval to accept the tribunal's recommendations in full.

The tribunal has recommended military honours or upgrades for 10 soldiers but Mr Smith's bid for the late Jack Kirby to receive a Victoria Cross was rejected.

The tribunal decided that the distinguished conduct medal awarded to him in 1966 was appropriate to recognise his leadership in the battle.

Mr Smith said he had done his best to put a strong case to the tribunal.

"Justice has been done," he told reporters in Canberra.

"I believe that the outcome has been excellent, compared with what has been done before."

The tribunal recommended medals of gallantry for Lieutenant Adrian Roberts, Sergeant Frank Alcorta and Lance Corporal Barry Magnussen (deceased) and commendations for gallantry for Second Lieutenant Gordon Sharp (deceased), and Privates Neil Bextrum, Ron Brett (deceased), Ian Campbell, William Roche, Geoffrey Peters and Noel Grimes.

The tribunal also backed a previous decision not to award an honour to the late Corporal William Moore and Private Allen May.

Mr Smith expressed some disappointment over the Kirby decision.

He said Kirby had run around under fire distributing ammunition to troops and joking with soldiers as they fought for their lives.

"Jack was a man who had no regard for his own safety," he said, describing him as an inspiration.

"Great big man he was, how he never got hit surprises me to this day."

Kirby died in February 1967 when a shell from a New Zealand gun accidentally landed on the Australian position.

Next Wednesday and Thursday there will be commemorations of the battle at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/2016/08/10/military-awards-for-long-tan-veterans/

Military awards for Long Tan veterans

10 August 2016

Minister for Defence Personnel Dan Tehan will recommend 10 soldiers who fought in the Battle of Long Tan be awarded a military honour or have their existing honour upgraded.

Mr Tehan today said he would recommend to the Governor-General that each recommendation from the independent Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal's review into the actions of 13 individual soldiers during the battle be approved.

The Battle of Long Tan took place on 18 August 1966. It was the most costly single battle fought by Australian soldiers in the Vietnam War, involving 105 Australians and three New Zealanders from D Company 6RAR and more than 2,000 enemy troops. A total of 17 Australians were killed in action and 25 were wounded, one of whom later died from his wounds.

D Company were greatly assisted by an ammunition resupply by RAAF helicopters, close fire support from New Zealand's 161 Field Battery, together with additional artillery support from the Australian task force base at Nui Dat and the arrival of reinforcements in APCs as night fell.

The Tribunal recommended Medals of Gallantry for Lieutenant Adrian Roberts, Sergeant Frank Alcorta and Lance Corporal Barry Magnussen (deceased) and Commendations for Gallantry for Second Lieutenant Gordon Sharp (deceased), and Privates Neil Bextrum, Ron Brett (deceased), Ian Campbell, William Roche, Geoffrey Peters and Noel Grimes.

The Tribunal did not recommend a Victoria Cross for the late Warrant Officer Class 2 Jack Kirby (deceased).

The Tribunal found the Distinguished Conduct Medal awarded to WO2 Kirby in 1966 was, "the appropriate award to recognise [his] distinguished conduct and leadership in the field during the Battle."

For Corporal William Moore (deceased) and Private Allen May, the Tribunal recommended the Chief of Army's original decision to not award an honour be affirmed.

Mr Tehan paid tribute to Lieutenant Colonel Harry Smith (Retd) who was commanding officer of D Company 6RAR on the day and who made the application for the review in 2015.

"The independent Tribunal was tasked with investigating the actions of 13 Australians during the Battle of Long Tan and to make a recommendation about awarding military honours," Mr Tehan said.

"I thank the Tribunal members for their thorough research and considered recommendations, awarding military honours is not something that is done lightly.

"It will be a great honour to write to the Governor-General and ask him to endorse the Tribunal's recommendations in full.

"The gallant actions of those who fought in the Battle of Long Tan are among the stories of the 60,000 Australians whose service and sacrifice we will commemorate this year on Vietnam Veterans' Day, which is also the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan."

The Tribunal's full decision will be published online at www.defence-honours-tribunal.gov.au

Summary of recommendations

Sergeant Francis Xavier ALCORTA OAM    Born in the Basque region of Spain in 1936    Nil    That Sergeant Alcorta be recommended for the Medal of Gallantry
Private Neil Raymond BEXTRUM    Born in Carlton, Victoria on 21 May, 1945    Nil    That Private Bextrum be recommended for the Commendation for Gallantry
Private Ronald Howard BRETT (deceased)    Born in Gulargambone, New South Wales on 15 February, 1947    Nil    That Private Brett be recommended for the Commendation for Gallantry
Private Ian Martin CAMPBELL    Born in Brisbane on 9 June, 1945    Nil    That Private Campbell be recommended for the Commendation for Gallantry
Private Noel John GRIMES    Born in Brisbane 4 February, 1945    Nil    That Private Grimes be recommended for the Commendation for Gallantry
Warrant Officer Class 2 John William KIRBY DCM (deceased)    Born in Sydney on 11 February, 1935    Distinguished Conduct Medal    That the Chief of Army's decision be affirmed
Lance Corporal Barry Eugene MAGNUSSEN (deceased)    Born in Brisbane on 15 May, 1945    Nil    That Lance Corporal Magnussen be recommended of the Medal of Gallantry
Private Allen James MAY    Born in Home Hill, Queensland on 26 March, 1945    Nil    That the Chief of Army's decision be affirmed
Corporal William Richard MOORE (deceased)    Born in St George, Queensland on 2 June, 1941    Mention in Despatches    That the Chief of Army's decision be affirmed
Private Geoffrey Michael PETERS    Born in Sydney on 25 June, 1946    Nil    That Private Peters be recommended for the Commendation for Gallantry
Colonel Francis Adrian ROBERTS OAM    Born in Midland Junction, Western Australia on 11 October, 1939    Mention in Despatches    That Colonel Roberts return his Mention in Dispatches and be recommended for the Medal of Gallantry
Private Willian Alfred ROCHE    Born in Nerrandera, New South Wales on 5 May, 1941    Nil    That Private Roche be recommended for the Commendation for Gallantry
Second Lieutenant Gordon Cameron SHARP (deceased)    Born in Tamworth, New South Wales on 17 March, 1945    Nil    That Second Lieutenant Sharp be recommended for the Commendation for Gallantry

I would like to publicly thank LTCOL Harry Smith (former Officer Commanding D Coy 6 RAR) for his relentless pursuit for due justice for his troops.



The fact that it has taken 50 years speaks for itself.

I will respectfully refrain from abusing the bumbling bureaucracy and bloated ' blimps '.

From the Defence Personnel Minister's Statement above:

Quote ... Mr Tehan paid tribute to Lieutenant Colonel Harry Smith (Retd) who was commanding officer of D Company 6RAR on the day and who made the application for the review in 2015 ..

On the day, Major Smith was the Officer Commanding D Company 6RAR, the Battalion Commanding Officer was in fact Lieutenant Colonel Colin Townsend.

Couriermail --> Long overdue acknowledgement for the heroes of the battle of Long Tan in Vietnam


An exhausted Digger rests in the aftermath of the Battle of Long Tan, in 18 Aug 1966.

QuoteFIFTY years ago one of the most used words in reporting the Vietnam War was "escalation" as we waded ever deeper into the conflict.

This week the word is "justice" as the half-century anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan is marked with the upgrading of gallantry awards to the Diggers whose sweat and blood stained a Vietnamese rubber plantation on August 18, 1966.

The Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal has recommended Medals of Gallantry and Commendations for Gallantry for 10 of the soldiers who stood their ground in what was Australia's biggest engagement of the war.

It declined to upgrade Warrant Officer Jack Kirby's Distinguished Conduct Medal to a Victoria Cross but, make no mistake, the DCM is the mark of a truly brave man.

Long Tan veterans were treated shabbily long after they farewelled their 18 mates who died in this epic clash.

Harry Smith, commander of D Company, 6 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, recommended 20 of his men for awards but four were rejected immediately and, of the remaining 16, half were knocked back and some of the rest downgraded.

And the men weren't allowed to accept South Vietnamese gallantry awards.

The final ignominy was a presentation by the South Vietnamese government of dolls in national costume, the well-meant symbolism of which was largely lost on the Australians.

Rubbing salt into the Australians' wounds was the fact that high awards were made to two senior officers – the battalion commander and the commander of the Nui Dat taskforce – who never went outside the wire.

The kindest that has been said is that they were rewarded just for doing their jobs.

The unkindest is Smith's claim that they embellished their roles in the battle to receive the high gallantry awards at the expense of his men.

They are both dead and can't defend their reputations but they have their champions.

It had a sorry resonance with the Battle of Kapyong in Korea in 1951 when claims emerged that the battalion commander took the glory while his officers and men paid the price in blood.

But, if the men of Long Tan were robbed by vainglory, they were also snubbed by military buffoonery and a silly quota system that rationed Imperial honours.

It has taken three reviews and the efforts of the indefatigable Smith to right the wrongs of 50 years ago.

There is a legal maxim that justice delayed is justice denied, but there is no denying the bravery of the men of Long Tan who are now entitled to wear the appropriate medals with pride.

But they are now old men and rightful recognition has eluded them for half a century.

Smith himself is into his 80s but his battle for justice has demonstrated that an officer's job is as much about caring for his men as it is about leading them.

That this week marks 50 years since the battle (the anniversary of which is really our Vietnam War day) will amaze those once young men who so boldly advanced into the inferno.

They are also entitled to be amazed at the recognition they will receive from the community and, among other organisations, the RSL.

A quick Google search will show the enthusiasm with which our premier veterans association will mark the occasion and the reverence with which it treats the soldiers of the 1960s.

That, too, is a mark of justice for all Vietnam veterans who were sometimes treated poorly by the RSL which, while a fierce supporter of the war, regarded it as something of a lesser conflict and its Diggers as lesser soldiers.

Time and the passing of the leadership colours to another generation have remedied that.

In August 1966 a report of the battle was headlined "Sons of the brave", measuring their deeds against those of the World War veterans who then dominated our society.

This week we recognise the bravery and the glory that was theirs alone.

http://ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/free-travel-for-veterans-on-vietnam-veterans-day/

Free travel for Veterans on Vietnam Veterans Day

Added: 2 August 2016

Public Transport Victoria is encouraging all Victorians to pay their respects at the Shrine of Remembrance on Vietnam Veterans Day to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan on Thursday, 18 August.

Veterans and War Widows are encouraged to wear their medals, and members of the Australian Defence Force to wear their uniform or show their ADF badge to receive free travel on public transport on the day.

Free travel is also extended on the regional public transport network for Veterans and War Widows travelling to and from Melbourne for the service between 17 and 19 August.

School students in uniform can travel for free on public transport to commemorations at the Shrine of Remembrance between 9.30am and 2.30pm

Reservations are compulsory on long distance V/Line train and coach services and passengers should call 1800 800 007 before the day of travel to secure a seat.

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, and public transport is the best way to get to the Shrine to commemorate our diggers.

Veterans and War Widows simply need to travel with one of the below forms of identification:

    Wear their uniform,
    Wear their service medals,
    Wear an ex-service association or returned from active service or war widows badge,
    Present their DVA Gold or White card, or
    Present their Category "V'' Victorian Public Transport Concession Card.

Members of the Australian Defence Force can either wear their uniform or show their ADF Badge to access free transport.

Public transport services will run to a normal weekday timetable on Vietnam Veterans Day, Thursday, 18 August 2016.

The Shrine of Remembrance can be reached by a 10 minute walk from Flinders Street Station or by any St Kilda Road south bound tram except Route 1. Passengers should disembark at tram Stop 19 (Shrine of Remembrance/St Kilda Road) or Stop 20 (Domain Interchange).

Free travel is also extended to eligible veterans with the War Veterans Travel Pass throughout the year, visit the Free Travel Passes page for more information.

ABC News --> Long Tan: Vietnamese authorities cancel 50th anniversary commemoration event, DFAT says

QuoteTomorrow's 50th anniversary Vietnam War commemoration event at the Long Tan cross site has been cancelled by Vietnamese authorities, the Department of Foreign Affairs says.

"The Vietnamese Government has advised the Australian Government that it will not permit the ceremony to commemorate Vietnam Veteran's Day at the Long Tan cross site at 3:30pm on August 18 to proceed," DFAT said in a statement.

"An official party, including the Australian and New Zealand ambassadors, will lay a wreath and we understand small groups will still have access to the site on the day.

    "The Government is deeply disappointed at this decision, and the manner in which it was taken, so close to the commemoration service taking place."

The news came after Vietnamese police blocked access to the Long Tan memorial site, as local officials discussed whether to allow a planned event to go ahead tomorrow.

An ABC crew was stopped about 200 metres before the site's memorial cross.

No clear reason was given for blocking access to the site, which is on a private farm, but access to the cross was open on Tuesday.

Australia had been working closely with Vietnamese authorities for 18 months to prepare for the event, the DFAT statement said.

    "We have gone out of our way to make sure that this was going to be a low-key commemoration," Veterans' Affairs Minister Dan Tehan, said at a press conference.

Memorial events have been held at Long Tan since 1989.

"We understand that there are sensitivities still in Vietnam," Mr Tehan said, adding "deep sensitivities" surrounding the Battle of Long Tan were cited as the reason for the decision.

"But one of the bitterly, bitterly disappointing things about what has occurred is the fact that this decision has taken place with such short notice."

For many veterans, this would have been their first visit to Vietnam since the war.

There are sensitivities in Vietnam re Long Tan, and in fact concerning the years of wars generally. This should be of no surprise to anyone.

The disappointing thing is the late notice of the cancellation. 

There are many Australian veterans and families presently in Vietnam to attend the now cancelled service tomorrow at Long Tan.
In fact many ex NVA soldiers had planned to attend as well.

High level negotiations continue in an attempt to resolve this situation.  In the end though it is Vietnam and ultimately their call.

Couriermail --> Vietnam cancels Long Tan service

Quote
VIETNAMESE authorities have cancelled the service for the battle of Long Tan on the eve of the 50th anniversary.

The Australian Government has offered its "heartfelt sympathies" to the over 1000 veterans who had travelled to Vietnam for the commemorative service at the battle of Long Tan Cross Site.

Veteran Affairs Minister Dan Tehan described the move as "extraordinary" and told reporters in Canberra said he made the announcement with "bitter, bitter disappointment".

The battle was one of Australia's bloodiest days of the Vietnam War, which ended in the deaths of 18 Australian soldiers.

Mr Tehan said the Government was first advised of the cancellation late yesterday afternoon. The Minister said Australia would continue to make representations at the highest levels to have the decision overturned.

He said both Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop would seek discussions with their Vietnamese counterparts.

Ms Bishop said in a statement the Vietnamese government had advised it would not permit the ceremony to go ahead.

An official party including the Australian and New Zealand ambassadors will still lay a wreath on Thursday.

"The government is deeply disappointed at this decision, and the manner in which it was taken, so close to the commemoration service taking place," the statement said.

Over 1000 veterans had travelled to Vietnam for the now cancelled service.

Mr Tehan said it was a "kick in the guts" for the decision to come at such short notice. He said he hoped it would be overturned.

Mr Tehan said it was believed the decision was solely about Long Tan and was not a result of other aspects of Australia's relationship with Vietnam.

Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia National President Ken Foster said the news would be a blow to veterans who had planned to attend the service — some returning for the first time.

"They go over there and, as far as I know, 99 per cent of the Australian veterans go over there are respectful to the community, all they want to do is pay respects to the place where they fought and where their friends died.

"It wasn't to commemorate anything else, it was purely to pay respects to those are dead."

Mr Foster said he feared for the mental wellbeing of veterans — both those planning to attend the service in Vietnam and at home in Australia.

"When they hear this news, and tomorrow, there's going to be some fallout from it," he said.

"I'm disappointed particularly in the fact that the Australian forces were well-known during that war for the respect that we paid to the Vietnamese war dead.

"We never abused them. We always treated them with dignity.

"And even at Long Tan, we were recognised as having paid due respects to their dead after the battle."

The Veterans Affair Minister said the Prime Minister had put in a request to speak to his Vietnamese counterpart but it was not yet know if this discussion would take place.

He said it was understood Ms Bishop's request to speak to the Vietnamese Foreign Minister had been approved.

http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=802.msg176734#msg176734

Introduction To The Medic Of Long Tan, OUR VIETNAM NURSES, Read By Annabelle Brayley
> https://soundcloud.com/user-331118992/introduction-to-the-medic-of-long-tan-our-vietnam-nurses-read-by-annabelle-brayley

The relatively young, US Army Dust Off pilots were ordinary guys doing rather extraordinary things.

This is the story of WO1 Reinis Fox US Army, Dust Off Pilot.

Lest We Forget ..

https://www.facebook.com/senatormarisepayne/photos/a.1419895111563397.1073741828.1419031998316375/1834088463477391/?type=3&theater

Marise Payne

Today I pay tribute to Colonel Nell Espie, former Director of Nursing Services - Army, who has died in Tasmania after a lifetime of service to her nation.

Colonel Espie saw overseas service in Japan, Korea and Malaya, in a career that stretched over almost 30 years. In 1968 she was appointed Matron of the Australian Field Hospital Vung Tau, in South Vietnam. She later described it as the most rewarding experience in her long career.

Colonel Nell Espie was a trail-blazer for women in the Australian Defence Force. Her operational service is impressive by any measure, but her promotion through the ranks is a tribute to her leadership and devotion to duty.

After retirement, Colonel Espie returned to her native town of Oatlands in central Tasmania. She continued to be a driving force for veterans, especially women veterans, for war widows and dependants. She established a state branch of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps Association in Tasmania and later became the Association's National President. She was awarded life membership in 1997.

Colonel Espie received several decorations throughout her life, including being awarded the Royal Red Cross (RRC) in 1978 in recognition of her service to army nursing and being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1992 in recognition of service to veterans and nursing.

Colonel Espie became a Life Member of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) in 1995 and was awarded the League's Meritorious Service Medal in 2004.

The professionalism of the men and women of the Australian Defence Force has a rich history of over a century of service and sacrifice for our nation. Colonel Espie, like many others, serves as an inspiration to anyone who is contemplating becoming part of that history.

My sympathies are with Colonel Espie's family and friends at this time.



Image: Seoul, South Korea. 18 July 1953. Having his leg dressed by nursing sister Lieutenant (Lt) Nell Espie of York Plains, Tas, is Private Keith Toms of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR).

Couriermail Quest --> Diggers mark 50 years since the end of the Indonesian Confrontation

QuoteFIFTY years ago this month a war which claimed the lives of 23 Australian soldiers came to an end.

But there's every chance you have never heard of it.

"They call it the 'secret war'," Banyo veteran Ron Virgen said.

"It was secret in that not much publicity went on about it (at the time)."

Mr Virgen was among the men of the 4th Battalion Royal Australian Artillery (4RAR) who were sent to Borneo to help defend against Indonesian paratroops and amphibious raids in what has since been dubbed the Indonesian Confrontation of 1963-1966.

Mr Virgen was stationed in a muddy jungle area so thick with vegetation all supplies had to be carried in on foot or dropped in from the air.

"And the Indonesians, they liked to booby trap everything," he said.

Mr Virgen recalled a device they called a jumping jack — a spring-loaded explosive which launched up from the ground only to detonate once it reached the height of an average man's head.

"And we had to live underground," he said.

Troops slept in a series of trenches which reeked of urine, he said.

"It was shocking."

Carseldine's Bob Pearson served as a rifle company platoon sergeant.

"Our main job was stopping the Indonesians infiltrating Borneo ... we'd go out for 10 day patrols and in for three, and we did that for six months."

There the troops battled not only the enemy but a rat-infested base camp and bouts of malaria, leptospirosis and typhus.

He was also a part of Operation Claret — a series of raids into Indonesia which were considered so secret they weren't acknowledged by the government until 1996.

"That was pretty scary because if we had any casualties we would have to carry them out, the best way we could, including our dead."

He said the secrecy also made it extremely difficult for veterans to access help with psychological or physical wounds tracing back to Operation Claret activities.

Despite the hardships he faced Mr Pearson said he was proud of his service in Borneo and hoped more people might learn about the war.

"Sometimes conflicts are swept under the carpet."

Gallipoli Barracks will host a memorial service on August 31.

https://www.awm.gov.au/gillespie-bequest-vietnamese-australian-experiences-vietnam-war/

Australian War Memorial

The Gillespie Bequest: Vietnamese–Australian experiences of the Vietnam War

In 2012 a bequest to purchase works of art was left to the Australian War Memorial by the retired Major John Milton Gillespie, a Vietnam veteran and immigration consultant. In recognition of both this significant gift and Mr Gillespie's life and work, the Memorial decided to use the bequest to commission work that explores the wartime experience of Vietnamese–Australians and its legacy today.

Vietnamese culture and history is a lived reality in Australia but the Vietnamese–Australian perspective on the Vietnam War has not previously been represented in the Memorial's art collection. The experiences of Vietnamese–Australians have the potential to further the understanding of this conflict for all Australians and, especially, its enduring impact on Australian society.

Memorial curators worked in partnership with 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (4A), a national organisation promoting the work of Asian and Asian–Australian artists, to research and identify contemporary artists working with Vietnamese–Australian stories. As a result of this research Dr Dacchi Dang has been commissioned to create works of art responding to this important but relatively little-known aspect of Australian history. Starting in March 2016, Dr Dang will research and interview veterans who served in the war with either Australian or South Vietnamese forces:

I want to concentrate on the relationship between Australia and the South Vietnamese. Since their resettlement in Australia, the Vietnamese veterans' stories have largely been silent in Australian communities. One of the possible factors to this under-representation of their stories in the Vietnamese or other Australian communities is that the soldiers still feel trapped from their painful past and loss of their homeland. Their stories and accounts of the war are of particular interest to me in my research for this project. My aim is to create a new understanding of, and a relationship to the representation of, the memories and experiences of the Vietnam War through the tales of Australian and Australian–South Vietnamese veterans.

These stories will inform the creation of two major works of art, to be launched in 2018. The creation process will also be the subject of a short documentary produced by 4A.

Dr Dacchi Dang (b. 1966) spent his childhood in Saigon, and his experiences of the war came both via the media and from the streets. In 1982, aged 16, he and his siblings fled Vietnam, enduring a traumatic sea voyage in a fishing boat, spending nine months in the Pulau Bidong camp in Malaysia before being accepted as refugees to Australia. On arrival Dang learned English and obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Masters of Fine Arts at the University of New South Wales and a PhD from Griffith University. His research-based practice has focused on the Vietnamese diaspora and the experiences and sense of identity of refugees. His work has been exhibited extensively both within Australia and internationally.

For more information about this project and about participating in Dr Dang's research, email: art@awm.gov.au.


https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/CRO/68/0041/VN/

^ I  will be participating in this research.  A very worthwhile project.

We will remember them .. Lest We Forget 🌿

11/11/2016

As part of my duties as a Medic with 1st Aust Civil Affairs Unit I engaged and worked with the local community in Phuoc Tuy Province South Vietnam,  to provide medical support.

These are some slides I took during my travels around the province in 1970/71.





















Photographs R Dow 1970/71

Photographs R Dow 1970/71