Remembering: Vietnam veterans (front) Darryl ‘Tank’ Macarty, (back from left) Robert Mathieson, Peter Dealy, Keith Moodie and Stan Whitford will be among those to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
This Anzac Day we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War.
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For those veterans who were there, however, Vietnam remains fresh in their minds.
For some, it is the constant fear or heightened awareness they remember; for others, the camaraderie with those around them is what sticks out most.
On Anzac Day, we will remember all the Vietnam veterans.
Shepparton and surrounding towns have their fair share of Vietnam veterans who call this place home.
Some were born in the region and have lived here most of their lives. For others, they have either come here or returned later in life.
Like so many, they were young men when they left for Vietnam.
Some were already in the defence force and went on to have a long career.
Others were conscripted and had to do two years’ service.
In all, 60,000 Australians served in the Vietnam War.
Of these, 523 died, and more than 3000 were wounded.
Peter Dealy was one of the many who served in Vietnam for 12 months.
The Numurkah man was in the Australian Army for three years and actually transferred to a unit that was going to Vietnam after he found out the unit he was part of was not going.
Remembering fallen mates: Vietnam War veterans (front) Darryl ‘Tank’ Macarty, (back from left) Robert Mathieson, Peter Dealy, Keith Moodie and Stan Whitford.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
“I was a regular soldier who was trained for warfare,” he said.
“When the time came you had to test yourself out.”
And it is not a decision he regrets.
Nowadays he is heavily involved in the Goulburn Valley Vietnam Veterans’ Association — he is a past president and the current secretary.
He speaks fondly of how the veterans stay in touch with each other.
Shepparton’s Darryl ‘Tank’ Macarty spent 20 years in the Royal Australian Air Force, joining when he was 17.
Like most others, he served in Vietnam for a year, but also spent more than three years in Thailand as support for Americans who were running bombing missions into Vietnam from there.
Tatura’s Robert Mathieson volunteered for Vietnam as soon as he was old enough to do so.
He served for 12 months in Vietnam — and what he remembers most was his shock at how little value was placed on life.
“The value of human life was worth about the same as a bar of soap,” he said.
Shepparton’s Stan Whitford was conscripted into the Army to serve in Vietnam.
He spent a little over 11 months there before shrapnel injuries saw him spend five weeks in hospital.
He recalls patrols through the jungle as “pretty nerve-wracking”.
Keith Moodie, who used to live in Shepparton but is now based in Perth, recalled two friends who died in mine incidents.
“War costs. And freedom costs,” he said.
All five men, though, plan to commemorate Anzac Day by remembering all those they served.
They remember those who served with them in Vietnam and who did not return home.
They remember those who fought in World War I and World War II — some of whom were their fathers of grandparents.
They remember those who are still serving in the Australian Defence Force.
Mr Mathieson summed it up perfectly when he said Anzac Day was the “coming together of a nation”.
