Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Michael John Wuttke was born and grew up in Tailem Bend, brother of Dennis Wuttke Son of Irene Wuttke nee Thiele and his father Robert Wuttke, who also served in the Army and had enlisted in 1940 and discharged during 1946. Michael attended Tailem Bend Primary School and continued his education at Murray Bridge High School. After high school Michael started a mechanics apprenticeship before enlisting to go to the Vietnam War. He served as a private in transport from 1969 to 1972, when he returned home.
Soon after returning he met June Rohrlach and they then married in 1973 a year after they met. Michael worked at a tyre firm called Uniroyal, which later became Bridgestone where he worked as a Tyre Fitter/Manager. In 1980 he became a father for the first time to daughter Joanne and later had a second daughter, Karen in 1982. He had worked at Bridgestone for 25 years before changing jobs. He then worked for a company Tree & Stump Removal, followed by working at Mitsubishi Motors as a foundry worker in the factory until the closure of the company, he also worked at a company called PNP as a bitumen layer.
In 2001 Michael became a grandfather to Tayla-Marie with two more grandchildren to follow, Billy-James and Josephine. Michael retired in 2005 and then in 2006 he returned to Vietnam for the first time to pay tribute in the 40th Long Tan Anniversary with family and fellow veterans. He has since continued to return to Vietnam a number of times with a group of fellow veterans/friends called the 'South Australian Vietnam Touring Group' in supporting orphans and impoverished people in Vietnam.