THE marble with Pat Magann’s birthday came out of the conscription barrel in 1970.

Mr Magann, and every other young Australian man who shared his birthday, and the birthdays on the other marbles that came out, were required to do National Service, with the government hoping that they would volunteer to serve in the Vietnam War.

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Most did volunteer, and Mr Magann, along with 70 other conscripts, went to reinforce the 2nd Battalion.

He served for ten and a half months as an infantry rifleman, which meant most of his time was spent on patrol.

The patrols lasted two to three weeks, and troops had to carry everything in packs weighing 40 to 45kg.

They were re-supplied with food and ammunition every five to seven days.

Mr Magann recalls an occasion before going on patrol when a member of a fact finding mission from Canberra attempted to pick up a pack and couldn’t – there was a particular technique to lift such a heavy pack.

Mr Magann said his patrols engaged the Viet Cong guerrillas with short, sharp contact and only once encountered the North Vietnamese Army.

He said that the most dangerous places to patrol were in the mountains, where the North Vietnamese had their bases and hospitals.

More than 60,000 Australians served in the Vietnam War, including over 15,000 National Servicemen, with 521 losing their lives and some 3,000 being wounded, and many still carrying “invisible wounds”.

An Australian Army Training Team arrived in South Vietnam in 1962 and Australian troops withdrew at the end of 1972,making it the longest conflict Australians were involved in during the 20th Century.

The battle of Long Tan saw Australian troops repulse Vietnamese forces ten times their number in a four-hour battle in torrential rain.

Eighteen Australians died as a result of the battle.

According to Mr Magann, the Vietnamese goal was to wipe out the entire Australian task force to give the Americans a ‘poke in the eye’.

Wednesday 18 August was Vietnam Veterans’ Day, an opportunity to pause and remember the service and sacrifice of the Australians during the Vietnam War, and to acknowledge the 55th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.

Mr Magann, who is the President of the Sawtell RSL Sub-Branch, is concerned that the lockdown and recent events in Afghanistan took some attention away from the Day.

He said that a lot of Vietnam veterans and their families are still suffering from the effects of Agent Orange and that there needs to be a lot more done, including the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, to address the mental health of veterans.

Mr Magann said he was devastated for veterans of the war in Afghanistan and that it brought back memories of the fall of Saigon and the waste of human life.

He said, “I lost some mates in Vietnam, two particularly close ones.”

When flying out of Nui Dat for the last time as a soldier, Mr Magann said he was nearly in tears and that he loved the South Vietnamese people.

He also said that as his chopper landed on the deck of HMAS Sydney for the last time, he felt that the job wasn’t finished.

Since leaving the army and becoming a property valuer, Mr Magann has returned to Vietnam three times and has really enjoyed it.

Of his time as a soldier, he said, “It was the best and worst experience you could have in life.”

He said that the comradeship and discipline were the best aspects, and that the gruelling, dangerous patrols were the worst.

Like many Vietnam veterans, Mr Magann is sad about the reaction that Vietnam veterans received from the Australian public when they returned – there was no welcome home parade until 1987.

He said the Veteran Centre Mid-North Coast was established to provide help to veterans negotiating assistance from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Legacy and a working group has been set up to increase funding for it.

Mr Magann said, “We need to keep in mind that Vietnam Veterans’ Day is important to all Vietnam veterans and needs to be recognised as such.”

Support for Vietnam veterans and their families who need it can be found at openarms.gov.au.

By Andrew VIVIAN