By Barry Irving
VETERANS and family assembled at the Rye RSL on Tuesday 18 August to reflect and pay their respects to fallen comrades, 60 years after the battle of Long Tan.
The impact and legacy of war is still experienced by many who survived the conflict.
The years have taken their toll with fewer returned veterans able to attend the service. There were 34 in attendance at Rye with eleven apologies.
The service was conducted by Rye RSL President John Wilson LTCOL (ret).
Peter Day LTCDR (ret) delivered both the address and Remembrance and Lords Prayers.
Wreaths were laid by the RSL at the Salute Their Service wall in the Rye cemetery, at the Officers Cadet School Portsea, as well the wreaths laid after the ceremony at the remembrance wall at the RSL, from the Ladies Auxilliary, Vietnam Veterans Association, Rye RSL, and Mornington Peninsula Vietnam Veterans Association Australia.
The Vietnam war (1962-1975) left a profound and complex legacy in Australia. Sixty-thousand Australians served in the conflict resulting in 523 deaths and another 3,000 wounded.
The reintroduction of mandatory National Service for 20 year old men that were selected via a birthday ballot outraged a large portion of the public.
Vietnam moratorium marches,beginning in 1970, resulted in the largest demonstrations in Australia’s history, with thousands protesting against war and conscription.
Unlike veterans of previous conflicts, returning soldiers were met with a hostile and unsympathetic public, with many facing challenges with unemployment, mental health issues along with physical effects following exposure to chemicals like agent orange.
In 1987, Sydney hosted a welcome home parade that saw 22,000 veterans and 100,000 supporters gather.
The event served as a catalyst for greater recognition and appreciation, sparking a broader Anzac revival in Australia.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 26 August 2026
