Emma Pritchard
As communities across the country came together on August 18 in recognition of Vietnam Veterans Day 2024, close to 70 people attended a service in Memorial Park, Grafton, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of Australian forces from South Vietnam, and to remember and pay their respects in honour of the 60000 Australians who served during the Vietnam War (1962-1975).
Hosted by the Clarence Valley Vietnam Veterans Peacekeepers and Peacemakers Association Inc (CVVVPPAI), the event also acknowledged the many Australians who fought and lost their lives in Vietnam on the 58th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.
While the Australian flag flapped gently in the breeze above the gathering, CVVVPPAI Vice President Robert McFarlane thanked attendees for their participation as he delivered the opening address, and said the occasion was a significant time to pay homage to those who fought and gave their lives in crucial battles, along with the countless Australians who returned home still carrying the traumatic physical and emotional scars of war.
As the crowd bowed their heads in respectful silence, Mr McFarlane also spoke of the Battle of Coral-Balmoral, which took place between May 12 and June 6 in 1968, following the Tet Offensive, a major escalation and one of the biggest military campaigns during the Vietnam War.
“This month-long engagement would be the crucible of combat for the recently arrived Centurian tanks of the Armoured Corps, and a true test of the mettle of the infantrymen of 1RAR (Royal Australian Regiment) and 3RAR,” he said.
“The Battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral stand in the annals of Australian military history as the longest and deadliest battle involving Australians in South Vietnam since World War II (WWII).
“Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral were in the vicinity of routes used by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces to attack Saigon (now known as Ho Chi Minh City).
“The North Vietnamese attacked Fire Support Base Coral only hours after it had been established on May 13, 1968, and there was another major attack on the base shortly afterwards.
“Over the following weeks, Australian forces launched a series of aggressive patrols and engaged in combat against North Vietnamese forces.
“26 Australians were killed during the fighting at Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral.
“An Australian Brigadier later described the battle as some of the heaviest fighting which occurred during the Vietnam War.
“Today is about coming together to remember and honour our fallen.”
Towards the end of the service, distinguished guests and family representatives were invited to lay wreaths at the base of the obelisk alongside the memorial wall which proudly displays the names of several Clarence Valley men who served during the Vietnam War.