THE Vietnam Veterans Day service, at the Ipswich RSL in Queensland on Friday, August 18, 2023, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War was no doubt an important event – for Ipswich.
But why was the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Ipswich and not at the national 50th anniversary event in Canberra, in front of a national audience, in front of thousands of assembled Vietnam Veterans and in front of the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial on Anzac Parade?
What’s that got to do with South Gippsland and Bass Coast, you may ask?
For one, two of the men pictured in the iconic Vietnam War photo by Mike Coleridge, which is featured on the Vietnam Veterans national memorial come from Leongatha and Wonthaggi. For another, there are many Vietnam Veterans and other National Service men and women from this area who took a keen interest in the national service in Canberra on Friday, August 18, National Vietnam Veterans Day and also Long Tan Day.
So, why wasn’t the PM, and for that matter, the Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, in attendance at the only national service on this most auspicious of days?
There’s no indication why Mr Dutton wasn’t in Canberra, but Mr Albanese was in Brisbane for the ALP’s national conference, and he popped out to Ipswich, on the western edge of town, to attend the local event in Ipswich – what a coup for the ALP Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann and the local RSL.
But surely, the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War for Australia trumps the ALP conference and the Ipswich RSL.
He should have been in Canberra. That’s where all of the other dignitaries were, including the Governor General of Australia, His Excellency General the Honourable David John Hurley, his predecessor General Sir Peter John Cosgrove and the Minister for Veterans Affairs' and Defence Personnel Matt Keogh, who represented the Prime Minister.
For two hours before the start of the national service in Anzac Parade at 10am, the Vietnam Veterans started arriving in their thousands, aged in their late 60s through to their early 90s, they came in wheelchairs, on walking frames and walking sticks, supported by family members and willing service personnel where required, but mostly ablebodied, if a little less mobile.
There was a hum of conversation, a shaking of hands as old mates caught up again, even a joke or two to be shared with Peter Cosgrove as he made his way to the front seats.
But where was the Prime Minister?
He said all the right things in his speech at Ipswich, but this was a time to put some important words of healing on a national stage.
“We should have acknowledged you better as a nation then,” Mr Albanese said in Ipswich.
“But the truth is, as a nation we didn’t.
“Times have changed, though regrettably too slowly for many veterans who are no longer with us.
“But we have matured enough as a nation to embrace the truth that we can disagree with a war without that diminishing the respect we feel for every man and woman who puts on our uniform and serves in our name.
“You upheld Australia’s name.
“You showed the Australian character at its finest.
“You deserved so very much better than you received.
“Let us say to every one of our Vietnam veterans, today and every day, we honour you, we thank you and we are sorry that as a nation, it took us so long for us as a nation to do so. Lest we forget.”
The words were right, but sadly, the location wasn’t.