General News
23 August, 2023
Small memorial remembers Vietnam veterans
THE Terang community braved the cold and rain to pay its respects to Vietnam veterans last week on the 50th anniversary of the end of the war.
THE Terang community braved the cold and rain to pay its respects to Vietnam veterans last week on the 50th anniversary of the end of the war.
A service was held at the Terang war memorial last Friday as part of Vietnam Veterans Day.
Vietnam Veterans Day also held special significance this year, commemorating 50 years since the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam war.
The day falls on the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, one of the bloodiest battles Anzacs experienced during the war.
Terang Returned and Services League sub-branch president Terry Fidge, himself a Vietnam veteran, recounted the events of the battle to more than 30 members of the community in attendance.
“Late in the afternoon of August 18, 1966, pouring monsoonal rain, mud and shattered trees of the Long Tan rubber tree plantation, Major Harry Smith and his company of 108 mostly inexperienced Australian and New Zealand soldiers made contact with an estimated force of 1500 to 2000 battle-hardened Viet Cong and North Vietnam professional soldiers,” he said.
“Artillery fire from Nui Dat (Australian Task Force base) was called in to support the Diggers pinned down by the overwhelming enemy forces.
“With supplies running low and a growing list of casualties, the enemy was massing for a final charge which would have overrun ANZAC lines; however, support in the form of armoured personnel carriers from Nui Dat arrived to provide ground support.
“Australia lost 18 Diggers killed in action with many more seriously wounded. The official Viet Kong lost was 245 but the true figure was believed to be much higher as the enemy were known to remove as many dead and injured from the battlefield as possible.”
Mr Fidge paid his respects to four young men from south west Victoria who lost their lives serving in Vietnam, including three conscripted to national service.
“Ian Scott from Camperdown was killed in action on May 12, 1968. He had only been in the country for eight days,” he said.
“Ralph Niblett from Cobden was killed in action on September 21 in 1971, just weeks before he was due to finish his tour and return home.
“Graham Warburton from Warrnambool was killed in action in October 1966, and was one of the first Nashos to be killed, and William Carroll from Warrnambool was killed in action in June, 1965.
“We remember these young men and the 523 Anzacs who paid the ultimate sacrifice during their service in Vietnam.”
Lest we forget.
