Honouring our Diggers Special Vietnam Veterans’ Day services in Cairns and Gordonvale

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Cairns Region

| Isabella Guzman Gonzalez

THIS year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, making for an especially important Vietnam Veterans’ Day today, with memorials taking place in Cairns and Gordonvale.

The Cairns RSL Sub Branch on the Esplanade and the Gordonvale cenotaph in Norman Park will be host to the memorial services to commemorate FNQ Vietnam veterans and their families today. Both services will begin at 5pm and community members of all ages are encouraged to participate.

Vietnam veteran and RSL Queensland Far Northern District president Kenneth Willoughby encouraged the community to celebrate and support Cairns’ veterans.

“Vietnam Veterans’ Day is commemorated annually on August 18, which is the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan – one of the most significant conflicts for Australian service personnel who fought in the Vietnam War,” he said.

“This year, being the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, makes it an incredibly meaningful time for everyone to come together and acknowledge the more than 60,000 Australians who served in the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1973.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the veteran and local community come together to honour the service of our Vietnam veterans and acknowledge their legacy that lives on today.”

Kel Ryan registered for National Service and was conscripted into the Australian Army in June 1965. He first deployed to Vietnam as an Infantry Soldier in D Company 5RAR the following year.

He champions the importance of commemoration among veterans, especially Vietnam veterans, and the broader community, and will lead the Cairns RSL Sub Branch Vietnam Veterans’ Day service today.

“It’s the fact that I personally contributed to our national story, and I’m very pleased and proud to have done that,” he said.

Gordonvale RSL Sub Branch gold badge life member and Vietnam veteran Dave Chalk said this would be one of the few times Gordonvale held its own service.

“We’ve only held like two or three events for Vietnam veterans in Gordonvale, we used to go down to Cairns be- cause they have like 30-40 Vietnam veterans but, this being such an important anniversary, we decided to hold our own event,” he said.

“We invited anybody in Gordonvale who’d like to attend and at this stage I have about four to five Vietnam veterans coming. One of them is Lt Gen. John Grey, who’s retired, Lt. Gen. John Grey was actually my captain in 1969,” Mr Chalk said.

“This is always a significant day for us (veterans), beyond the Battle of Long Tan it’s a day for us to remember the mates that we lost while we were there.

“In my case, in the 12 months I was in Vietnam there was 50 per cent loss of our squadron, a couple of the blokes that we lost were very good mates of mine so it’s a time to remember.”

For more information on Vietnam Veteran’s Day, visit, rslqld.org/vietnamveteransday