A History of Vietnam Veterans’ Day
Murderers. Baby-killers. Such were the accusations levelled against some Vietnam War veterans on their return to Australia.[i] Many others returned to an indifferent Australia; forced to reintegrate themselves into society without the effects of their service properly acknowledged. Even the RSL in some instances were not as welcoming as they should have been, leaving veterans feeling as though their service did not garner the same amount of respect as previous conflicts.[ii] Divided public opinion, coupled with the sporadic return of troops from Vietnam, meant that not all “Vietnam veterans [had] a victorious return to adoring civilians in Australia”[iii] like the parades of the First and Second World Wars.
Thankfully, attitudes towards the Vietnam War began to shift in the 1980s. The Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia and the Vietnam Veterans Federation were established with the aim of helping ex-servicemen and their families deal with the repercussions of war like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the results of chemical exposure. In 1987, a welcome home march was announced for Vietnam veterans - 15 years after the final contingent of troops returned home. Some veterans felt as though the march was ‘too little, too late’, but for many it was a long awaited chance at reconciliation; an opening of a door that had been ashamedly fixed shut.[iv]
The Welcome Home parade, held on 3 October 1987, saw 25,000 Vietnam veterans march through the streets of Sydney to the acclamation of several hundreds of thousands of onlookers.[v] The march began with a Dawn Service held at the Cenotaph in Martin Place, and concluded at the steps of Town Hall where participants were greeted with applause from Prime Minister Bob Hawke, armed forces chiefs, and other dignitaries.[vi] The Australian veterans were joined by large contingents of American, South Korean, Vietnamese and New Zealand veterans.[vii] Undoubtedly the most memorable scene from the march was the procession of 521 Australian flags, each carried by the families and friends of those who lost their lives while on active service. A Welcome Home concert in The Domain concluded what was a touching parade, a long time in the making.
More than 500 Australian flags, representing every Australian soldier killed in the Vietnam War, were carried by relatives and friends at the head of the Welcome Home parade in Sydney, 1987.
Source: Peter Lord, 24 April 2105, <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-24/f-flags-87-welcome-home/6416226?nw=0>.
Prime Minister Hawke noted in his address: “I firmly believe that the October parade will be the culmination of a long process of reconciliation and community acceptance of its obligations to the veterans of Vietnam. I believe we must honestly acknowledge that our involvement in Vietnam did cause deep divisions in the Australian community. But whatever our individual views on the merits of Australian involvement, we must equally acknowledge the commitment, courage and integrity of our armed forces who served in Vietnam.” He also determined that the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, 18 August 1966, would become known as Vietnam Veterans’ Day.
The steps of Sydney’s Town Hall, 3 October 1987.
Source: AWM PAIU1987/228.25
The Battle of Long Tan had long been commemorated by Vietnam veterans. It was Australia’s deadliest battle of the war, during which 18 Australian men were killed and 24 were wounded.[viii] Read more about the Battle of Long Tan on our campaign page here, and in an article by former 5th Battalion RAR Captain turned historian Robert O’Neill AO FASSA FAIIA, located here.
In 1969, a cross was erected on the battlefield of Long Tan by Australian soldiers in honour of their lost brothers. It now resides in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Read more about the cross here.
Members of 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment at the Long Tan cross dedication in Vietnam, 1969
Source: AWM P02946.001
The Welcome Home march was a turning point in how Australian’s perceived their country’s involvement in the Vietnam War, and how they commemorate the men and women who served for them. Today, on the 55th anniversary of the battle of Long Tan, we remember every veteran, from those who lost their lives in battle, to those who returned.
Source List
[i] DVA (Department of Veterans' Affairs) 2019, ‘Veterans’, DVA Anzac Portal, accessed 22 July 2021, <https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/vietnam-war-1962-1975/events/aftermath/veterans>.
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Julia Kanapathippillai, ‘New book The Long Shadow by Dr Peter Yule highlights the medical legacy of the Vietnam War’, Canberra Times, 28 October 2020, <https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6987816/new-book-shines-a-light-on-the-medical-legacy-of-the-Vietnam-war/>.
[iv] Blair Corless 2016, ‘Vietnam veteran recalls the ‘welcome home’ after 20 years’, Herald Sun, <https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/east/vietnam-veteran-recalls-the-welcome-home-after-20-years/news-story/d9fb13c4db11179051d6523aacacb91b>.
[v] DVA (Department of Veterans' Affairs) 2019, Veterans, DVA Anzac Portal, accessed 22 July 2021, <https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/vietnam-war-1962-1975/events/aftermath/veterans>.
[vi] Australian War Memorial, ‘Australian Vietnam Forces Welcome Home Parade’, accessed 22 July 2021, <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2722260>.
[vii] Ibid.
[viii] Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC, ‘40th anniversary of the battle of Long Tan’, Australian War Memorial, viewed 22 July 2021, <https://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/speeches/40th-anniversary-battle-long-tan>.