A ROUSING Vietnam Veterans Day was held on 18 August, 2022 at the Nambucca Heads cenotaph, with locals gathering to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of veterans in one of Australia’s longest military engagements of the 20th Century.

Almost 60,000 Australians served and 521 veterans paid the ultimate sacrifice.

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In July 1962, Australia’s war in Vietnam began with the deployment of three dozen Australian Army advisers to be incorporated into the US Military Assistance Command. Over the next ten years Australia’s involvement increased to include an Army component and task force group over 8,000 strong as well as Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force commitments in the skies and off the coast.

RSL NSW President Ray James said commemorating significant moments in our military history is vital to Australia, as people, a community, and a nation.

“RSL NSW takes this responsibility incredibly seriously as the custodians of the ANZAC spirit,” Mr James said.

“Today we will honour those veterans who lost their lives during battle; returned home wounded, ill, or injured, lost their lives in the years since they returned, and still carry the physical and emotional scars of their service over 50 years later.”

Vietnam Veterans Day takes place on 18 August, originally to acknowledge the Battle of Long Tan which took place in 1966 and resulted in eighteen Australian deaths and 24 wounded after three hours of fierce fighting before the withdrawal of the Viet Cong.