Veterans at the Long Tan Memorial -
Left : Terry Doyle (Ex Field Engineer and Tunnel Rat) 2nd from left Max Flower (Tracks) APC driver both served in Vietnam 70-72 period.
The Cross site at Long Tan is one of only two foreign War Memorials that has been allowed to be build and maintained in Vietnam by the Communist Government of today's Vietnam. The first is a French Memorial at Dien Bien Phu when the Colonial French Army were well and truly defeated in July 1954. I haven't seen the Memorial for some 16 years, I visited it at a time when I first ventured into the old North Vietnam, in the early post modern war time with the easing of permission for foreign (ex military) to return to Vietnam as welcomed tourists.
The other is at the site of the Battle of Long Tan, this is maintained by the Australian ex servicemen that served in Vietnam (with assistance from the Australian Government), in what was Australia's longest fought war - over 10 years. It represents not only the 18 men killed that day, 17 from Delta Company 6 RAR and one armour trooper back on that - Thursday 18th August 1966. It was one of the fiercest encounters with North Vietnamese and Local Force enemy up to that day. It is also a memorial to all Australian Forces that died trying to do the job our Government of the Day sent them there to do. It continues to also stand for those that made it home from the stinking jungles of Vietnam but haven't lived to enjoy their old age, due to Agent Orange or post traumatic syndrome (PTS) that has effected them since their experiences as young men in a war that didn't really have to be fought.
As my fellow Guild colleagues may or may not know the War between the early 60's until the Fall of Saigon (30th April 1975) was waged also by Australian, New Zealand, Korean & Pilipino military forces along side the yanks. We were told it was to endeavouring to stop the flow of communism in South East Asia, at the time it was referred to as the Domino theory, stop the (Communists) in Vietnam before it spread throughout SEA. As usual our valiant American allies were also supporting a corrupt Government in the South that they via the CIA and the assistance of a group of Senior Officers of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (the South) murdered their President - as part of moving the war forward on their terms. Oh, to have the knowledge of what really happened those years ago !
I'm heading back to Vietnam (2nd-31st March,12) with another group of Australian military veterans, all much older than in days in which they served and fought in Vietnam some 50 - 40 years ago ! We will hold our own memorial service at the Cross in memory not only to those that fought and died 46 years ago but to all our "mates" that for whatever reason are not "onboard" with us today. It's always a moving time for those that make it back, it's dignified and "done proper" as we say. Each year on the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan (18th August) the Vietnamese authorities allow us the hold a full on memorial service at the site. I attend each year, in 2011 we had some 350 in attendance, hosted by our Ambassador to Vietnam with the MC for formalities the Australian Defence Attaché based in Hanoi. It's the only time you'll see an Australian Serviceman in full uniform with ribbons in Vietnam (the DA) - today. Long Tan is a rubber plantation, as it was 46 years ago, the original cross was erected by members that survived the battle from 6RAR (Royal Australian Regiment) before their tour of duty ended. After November 1972 when the last Australian troops returned home from Vietnam and before the North over ran the South (30 Apr 75) the cross was maintained by those Oz troops that followed in service to our county.
Some time after the fall of the south, the original cross went missing, it was misplaced - a bloody huge cement cross ! After 1985 when the new government of Vietnam started to release it grip and open its closed doors to the outside world, the original cross was re-found, and is today in the Vietnamese Military museum at Bien Hoa. They say it was taken to be the head stone of a old French priest that survived the War. A new cross was erected in the same style as the original. When I first made it to the Long Tan Cross site more than 14 years ago, it was a very poor memorial, there was no fence other than strung barbwire, weeds and the red soil of the south. It wasn't a pretty site to remember the men of Delta Company 6RAR that died on this very spot in the "rubber" back in August 1966. Today's site still has the Cross as it's centre piece but it's tendered (maintained) by the very surviving relations of those that fought us on that day,(the enemy). It's kept clean, painted white, is properly fenced and stands out in the "rubber" and its sea of deep red soil. No names appear on the memorial, there's no need as those that make the journey back know it's importance to those that served.
On the 17-19th March, I'll also lead my veteran mates up to Dien Bien Phu and to the mountain jungle head quaters of the Viet Minh Army. I'll make sure I take a picture of the French memorial whilst in the area. Maybe if I can make it to the next AGM (where every it's held) I can present "Vietnam a war in our times for all the wrong reasons". As it's the start of the Lunar New Year in Vietnamese I say to you, Chuc Mung Nam Moi !
Best regards,
Dennis J Weatherall - (OSD Weathers)
Badge Number 34 SYDNEY Australia
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