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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-08-25 Daily Xml
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Vietnam Veterans Day

Mr BOYER (Wright) (12:21): I move:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges that 18 August 2021 marks Vietnam Veterans Day, and the 55th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan;

(b) recognises the courage and sacrifices made by the Australian Defence Force personnel and medical officers who served in the Vietnam conflict; and

(c) reaffirms South Australia’s commitment to recognise the contribution made by our Vietnam veterans and uphold their welfare through the provision and—advocacy for—appropriate support services.

Each year, 18 August commemorates the Battle of Long Tan, formerly known as Long Tan Day but from 1987 it has been officially known as Vietnam Veterans Day.

Starting in 1962 and ending in 1975, over 60,000 Australian Defence Service members from the Army, Navy and Air Force served in the Vietnam War, with 521 Australians paying the ultimate sacrifice. About 3,000 ADF members were injured. Of the 60,000 troops, 15,381 were conscripted with 202 of them killed in action and 1,279 wounded.

In 1962, the Menzies government sent in 30 Australian soldiers as military advisers. They were called the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) and eventually numbered 100 by 1965. Four Victoria Crosses were eventually awarded to the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam. In 1964, national conscription was introduced in Australia.

Selective conscription meant that a certain number of 20-year-old Australian men would be chosen to serve in the Australian Army. The process for choosing them was similar to a lottery. Numbered marbles each representing a day of the year were placed in a barrel. A predetermined number was then drawn individually and randomly by hand. If the number picked corresponded to the day of the year on which a person was born, they were required to present themselves for national service. Men chosen by this ballot, or balloted in, had to perform two years continuous full-time service in the Australian regular Army. This could include overseas service in Vietnam. After their full-time service they were required to serve for 3½ years part time.

My own father was 20 years of age in 1968 but thankfully the marble with his date of birth was not drawn out; however, some of his friends were not so lucky. I have often thought, as I am sure my dad has as well, how different his life would have been had his marble been drawn. He may not have returned from Vietnam or, like so many other young Australian men from that time, he may have come back and battled post-traumatic stress for the rest of his life.

Sixty-thousand men were called up under selective conscription and 20,000 served in South Vietnam. These were young men, often not sure how they came to be there, but they did what they were trained to do and they did it with courage. In 1965 the Menzies government sent in troops, including the 1st Royal Australian Infantry. The government continued to increase the numbers it committed over the next few years.

The Australian troops, like the US troops, had superior firepower and modern warfare strategies. However, they came up against guerrilla warfare. The Viet Cong could be anywhere, hiding from view and using extensive tunnel networks to hide their movements. On 17 August 1966, the Australian Task Force base in Nui Dat was bombarded by the Viet Cong with mortar attacks. The next day, 18 August 1966, 55 years ago last Wednesday, B platoon company, from the 6RAR was sent out in the morning to find where those mortar shells had come from.

The mortar attack positions were found by the rubber plantation near the village of Long Tan. The Delta platoon company from 6RAR, consisting of 108 soldiers, was sent out to relieve B platoon as they did not have the resources to be out in the field for an extended period of time. One veteran said that it got up everyone's noses that they were missing out on a concert by Col Joye and Little Pattie. In fact, they could hear grabs of sound from the concert as they were moving out into the jungle, a very eerie image indeed.

The rubber trees did not cover the soldiers' movements from the Viet Cong. The troops were hit with intense fire and tried to get A platoon out but they were not able to reach them. They could see the Viet Cong were very well equipped and not the civilians they had expected. They did not know they were facing 2,000 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers.

Then the monsoonal rain started. They were pinned down and called for artillery support. With heavy fighting from the Viet Cong, the supporting artillery fire was continuous for about four hours with a round of artillery fire every 10 to 20 seconds. The RAAF crew that flew in ammunition to D Company, when they were beginning to run out, were truly heroic to fly under that artillery bombardment and in those appalling weather conditions.

Gradually the soldiers' ammunition was depleted. One recalled, 'I looked around and most of my mates were gone, had been shot.' Another said, 'We knew we were having trouble with the weapons, we knew we were having trouble with the rain and the mud, and I thought this is going to be it.' A platoon company was sent out to help D Company. One recalled that when the A platoon company arrived, 'We didn't hear the APCs arrive because of the artillery and the rain but when they did arrive it was just like one of those western movies when the cavalry turns up.' There was no further firing by the Viet Cong once the A platoon company arrived.

On 19 August, the Australian soldiers returned to the field to remove the bodies of the 18 soldiers who had been killed; 24 soldiers had been wounded. They thought that they had been defeated, of course, but realised they had actually won a major victory against the Viet Cong. The Battle of Long Tan had been fought by a small number of Australian soldiers against a much larger army that outnumbered them 10 to one. It was a major local setback for the Viet Cong. Now, every 18 August, we commemorate all Vietnam veterans and honour the bravery and ultimate sacrifice paid by those 17 soldiers from Delta platoon company and the one soldier from 1A platoon company. It was the single largest loss of life in one day of Australian soldiers in the Vietnam War.

From 1971, troops from Australia began to be withdrawn from South Vietnam as the anti-war movement started to gain momentum. In 1972, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was elected and repealed the national conscription act thus ending conscription. Australian troops remained in South Vietnam until 1973. In March 1975, talks began to bring an end to the war and the Australian government sent the RAAF in to provide humanitarian assistance to the South Vietnamese.

The speed of the advance of the North Vietnamese Army took everyone by surprise and, on 30 April 1975, Saigon fell. The news photographers of the day captured and documented the fall of Saigon, and those images of helicopters and a panicking population remain iconic to this day.

Some of the Australian defence forces were not welcomed back in the way that veterans from previous wars were welcomed. In the 1970s some veterans felt excluded and shunned by the anti-war movement, and even by some veterans from previous wars. The 1970s and 1980s are often remembered by vets as the battle after the war, or more simply ‘The Aftermath’.

It emerged that veterans had been exposed also to Agent Orange, a carcinogenic pesticide that caused adverse health effects upon the veterans and birth abnormalities.

The Vietnam veterans banded together to form their own clubs and associations where they could look out for the wellbeing of each other. They fought for the recognition of the physical and mental impacts of post-traumatic stress. They took the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to court after denying compensation for injuries, including Agent Orange, and in 1983 a royal commission was held which found that two types of cancer could be linked to exposure to Agent Orange.

The Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service was established after intense lobbying by the veterans in 1982—seven years after the war ended. In 2007 it was renamed the Veterans & Veterans Families Counselling Service with its services being offered to all veterans and their families. In 2018 it was renamed Open Arms, which many members of this place will be familiar with.

Open Arms was a signal given by Australian soldiers on the ground indicating that it was safe for helicopters to land during the Vietnam War. Open Arms is a safe place for veterans and their families to seek help and to continue the specialised services they have provided since 1982.

Fifty five years after the battle of Long Tan the Vietnam veterans continue to fight for the health and mental wellbeing of veterans and their families. Today, of course, they are highly-trained advocates, having intricate knowledge of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act, the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. They use that knowledge to help younger veterans, particularly those who served in the Afghanistan war, which lasted nearly 20 years.

Recent events, which we have just heard about in this place and spoken about with great passion by members of this place, have been exceptionally challenging, of course, not just for our local community here in South Australia but also particularly by veterans of the Afghanistan war.

I know, having spoken to some of those returned service personnel and reading about their stories online on social media, that the sudden and catastrophic fall of Kabul brought back a lot of terrible memories for them about what happened during their war service. In these following weeks and months, we must also make sure that we spare a thought for them, and as elected members of this place reach out in any way that we can to offer them support knowing that a lot of that traumatic stress suffered by those who served in the Vietnam war will be coming up again because of the events being detailed in such terrible clarity in the media and in our parliaments across Australia.

The fate of translators, their families and other Afghan citizens who helped and supported Australian forces in Afghanistan has brought back memories of the fate of those too left behind in Vietnam. One veteran told of five translators begging for him to take them to safety. Three were able to be rescued, but he heard that the remaining two were sent to re-education camps and most probably to their deaths. Another veteran said that a translator had wrapped his arms around his legs, pleading to be taken with him as he was about to be flown out of Saigon by helicopter. That memory is still crystal clear in his mind. The desperation of Afghanis trying to cling on to aeroplanes at Kabul Airport brought back memories of desperate Vietnamese trying to board helicopters and fly out of Saigon.

These veterans, more than anyone else, understand what our young Afghan veterans are going through now. They have reached out, of course, and have used their experiences and their knowledge of warfare and the effects of warfare upon human beings to offer support to these people, and I know they will continue to do that for as long as it is needed.

From their experiences in the Vietnam War, and the way they were shunned and mistreated after that war, they have shown the true value of mateship. Many of our Vietnam veterans were very young when they fought there, of course. They came back to an Australia that could be hostile towards them for doing their duty. These young men banded together to look out for each other, to fight the legal system for their rights to compensation, and established physical and mental health services that help veterans and their families and now also help younger generations of veterans.

After all they went through, as young members of the Australian Defence Force in Vietnam, after the challenges they faced when they returned to Australia, the Vietnam veterans have left a legacy of services for current and future generations of veterans and their families. It is only right that we honour their sacrifice and bravery, not just at the Battle of Long Tan but in all the battles in the Vietnam War, and pay tribute to those 521 Australian soldiers who lost their lives.

Last week, on Vietnam Veterans Day I attended the City of Salisbury's commemorative service in Montague Farm, where all the streets are named after the young Australian soldiers killed. I was joined by other members of this place. The Governor, His Excellency Hieu Van Le, once again attended the service, as he does almost every year. He of course has a unique perspective as a Vietnamese child refugee, fleeing with his family by boat to Australia after the fall of Saigon.

In the spirit of bipartisanship, it should not be forgotten, too, that it was Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser who made the controversial decision at the time to allow the Vietnamese refugees, who made the very dangerous journey to Australia that Mr Van Le has spoken about many times, to remain here and become a valued part of our society. I had the honour of laying a wreath, and I witnessed the continuing camaraderie of the Vietnam veterans as they shared their stories and continue to support each other as they grow older.

Many of my colleagues here today also attended that ceremony, including the members for Playford, Florey, Light, King and others who I may have forgotten. I should say, it was an excellent turnout, and I think it was a very good ceremony as well, held in a compassionate spirit. I was pleased to be there. I am pleased to have the opportunity to offer my thoughts on the matter and acknowledge those veterans here today at what is each year a very important time, but a very poignant one, on our calendar at the moment, given what has happened in Afghanistan and the effects that is having on our veteran community.

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (12:36): I, too, rise to support this motion, a very important motion: Vietnam Veterans Day on 18 August. The Battle of Long Tan conflict lasted from 1954 to 1975. The day is an opportunity to reflect on the involvement of Australia and others who served in the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1972. Almost 60,000 Australians served over the 10 years of involvement, with more than 3,000 wounded and 521 making the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Australia's commitment mainly consisted of army personnel but also saw numbers of Air Force and Navy personnel and some civilians take part in the conflict. Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War began with the arrival of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam in South Vietnam in July 1962, after South Vietnam's leader, Ngo Dinh Diem, requested assistance from the US and its allies in the fight against communist insurgents. Vietnam Veterans Day falls on the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966. The Battle of Long Tan was a significant moment in Australia's contribution in Vietnam.

The men of Delta Company 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment faced approximately 2,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops in heavy tropical downpour. On this day, 17 Australians were killed in action and a further 25 were wounded, one of whom died days later. This battle marked the largest number of casualties in a single operation in the entirety of the Vietnam War. This year marks 55 years since the battle and 50 years since the cessation of Australian combat operations in Vietnam.

In the Riverland and the electorate of Chaffey, the Australian Vietnam Veterans Action Association was formed in late 1979 as a result of the perception of Vietnam veterans that exposure to chemicals was causing problems with their health and the health of their children. The chemicals, known by the generic name of Agent Orange, included 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D, a by-product of which is the extremely poisonous substance TCDD or dioxin. In my electorate of Chaffey there are many returned Vietnam veterans and different ex-service organisations, all of which play really important roles.

The Riverland sub-branch president, Max Binding is a stalwart of that organisation. In 2009, the Berri Barmera Council established a memorial on the riverfront, with the support of the Riverland community. This memorial was designed and erected by the Riverland Vietnam Veterans Association, with the support of the Riverland community, to honour those regular and national service personnel who served their country post World War II. It was officially opened by Brigadier Rick Burr DSC MVO on 30 October 2009. The memorial form is surrounded by a bed of red roses, with etched glass panels depicting pictures of the Army, Air Force and Navy, and of course the Chinook helicopter, which was an absolute signature of the Vietnam conflict.

This year again, supporters from across the region gathered at the monument to pay their respects on 18 August, with a fantastic turnout after the event was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. Many of those from the Riverland who served were just teenagers, or only in their early 20s, with little idea of what lay ahead. Many of those returned servicemen have been affected by the battlefields and by their war-torn experience.

There are a whole range of returned and service organisations that provide a range of different services for different needs, and I have a few in my own electorate, such as the local RSL clubs—our veterans and their families would certainly be poorer without them. The support they provide is often not only to the veteran but also to their families and their children.

I would like to acknowledge all our veterans: those who are still with us, those who have passed and those who have served. I would also like to thank those who do so much work with the Riverland veterans and the wellbeing centre to support veterans in our community. It is important that we support our veterans who were asked to go above and beyond the call of duty to protect our nation.

Ms COOK (Hurtle Vale) (12:41): I rise in support of the motion for Vietnam Veterans Day, as moved by the member for Wright. The member for Wright is a very passionate spokesperson for veterans affairs on our side of the house, and I thank him for his work in that regard. I add my voice in recognition of those who served our country in the Vietnam War, and the sacrifices and contributions made by them and their families. This motion itself recognises the importance of Vietnam Veterans Day, and the 55th anniversary of battle. This gives us an important opportunity to reflect on service and sacrifice by so many in our community.

I would like to speak about one of my constituents, Sergeant Lloyd Stevens OAM. He lives in the suburb of Woodcroft in the electorate of Hurtle Vale. Lloyd served our country in the Vietnam War and was recently bestowed with the Medal of the Order of Australia as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his service to the Vietnamese community of South Australia.

Lloyd signed up to the Army in 1964 in the small South-East town of Kalangadoo. He first served in Malaya, Borneo and on the Thai-Malay border in the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment before serving in Vietnam. Upon his return from Borneo, Lloyd was still a young man in his early 20s. Upon this return he felt like a veteran, he was included. He was signed up by the local RSL sub-branch, and they even paid for his first year of membership.

His experience on return from Vietnam, however, was very different. When he came home, like so many other Vietnam veterans, he was not treated well by his community. Some did not feel that those returning from Vietnam had fought an honourable war. Seemingly, there was a fair debate about the war at the time—and there were differences—but it was not fair to have treated our veterans so poorly after they had sacrificed so much.

In fact, Lloyd was even turned away from an RSL in New South Wales. At a dawn service he was told by a president of another RSL that they would be closing that local sub-branch because there were no veterans to take over, despite Lloyd and other Vietnam veterans being in the area. Can you imagine how hurtful this would have been for those veterans? I know there would have been so many stories like this from other Vietnam vets. It was a long time before Lloyd and other Vietnam vets got the recognition they deserved for their service and were accepted by others in the RSL, yet they did persevere until they got it.

I know this might sound a bit weird, but I was an Army cadet for a number of years, and I really enjoyed it. I loved it. I can remember, as a young Army cadet, noticing that there was a difference with the way that Vietnam veterans participated in marches and other ceremonies. I thought it was a bit strange that they were not included in the main group; there was a real point of difference. I did not understand this at the time but, looking back, it saddens me how excluded people were from the veteran community.

This place, and the society we are elected to represent, has a duty to acknowledge and thank those have served and who have come home to a country that was less than welcoming. After a really, really hard fought battle by the wonderful Julie-Ann Finney in the name of her dear son David, who took his life, as well as many others in the same situation, right now the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide is working to shine a light onto the tragically high number of returned defence personnel we continue to lose unnecessarily.

We now have the situation in Afghanistan, and Lloyd has highlighted to me just how tough times like these are for the veterans. He empathises with how they must feel seeing the country they fought so long and hard in to keep from the hands of the Taliban now falling. Many will be struggling with what has transpired over recent days in Afghanistan, and I just cannot believe or begin to understand how hurtful that must be. It is really important that we wrap our arms around the community and show that we understand this.

It is also extremely important to recognise the importance of mental health and PTSD support for our returned defence personnel. Support centres are vital, and we have to make sure they are contemporary and updated. We have to make sure we invest in services for the ongoing health of our veterans. One of those services that I would like to acknowledge, in particular, is the Jamie Larcombe Centre, which was built a few years ago. It is a state-of-the-art precinct that offers mental health services and support for former defence personnel. I am really proud to be part of what was a Labor government that delivered that change. It had its challenges, but it is a brilliant centre and very contemporary for our modern-day veterans.

I acknowledge the large Vietnamese-Australian community and the important contributions they make, none less than our wonderful Governor and Mrs Lan Le. We see people fleeing war-torn countries and coming from oppressive rule, and to see them shine and succeed such as His Excellency has is something we must nurture and be proud of. Out of the Afghani community, do we have a governor in the future? I certainly hope we have member of parliament and I hope we potentially have a governor as well.

We see so many parallels. It is my sincere hope that we do not repeat the same mistakes of the past where we treated people returning from that battle so appallingly. We must ensure that the serious and real physical injuries that we see and the terrible psychological traumas that we do not are not repeated, and that they are not exacerbated by ignorance. I thank the member for Wright for bringing this motion to the house. I am confident we have bipartisan support on this and I look forward to its passage.

Ms LUETHEN (King) (12:48): I also thank the member for Wright for this important motion and I rise to support it. On 18 August, we commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day on the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966. We remember the sacrifices of those who died and say thank you to almost 60,000 Australians who served during the 10 years of our involvement in the Vietnam War.

The Vietnam War was Australia's longest military engagement of the 20th century. The arrival of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam in South Vietnam during July and August 1962 marked the start of Australia's involvement in the war. By the time the war had come to an end, almost 60,000 Australians had served during a decade of conflict between 1962 and 1972. Tragically, 521 of them died and 3,000 were wounded.

The Battle of Long Tan was a significant moment in Australia's war in Vietnam. On 18 August 1966, in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tan, Australian soldiers fought one of their fiercest battles of the war. The men of Delta Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, faced a force of some 2,000 North Vietnamese and Vietcong troops. The battle was fought in wet and muddy conditions during a heavy tropical downpour. By the end of the day 17 Australians had been killed in action and 25 were wounded, one of whom died a few days later. This was the largest number of casualties in a single operation since the Australian Task Force had established its base at nearby Nui Dat the previous April.

On this day, we commemorate all the battles fought by Australians in Vietnam, from large-scale operations to platoon and section-level encounters. We remember the sailors of the Royal Australian Navy who supported the land operations and the members of the Royal Australian Air Force who served in combat and transport roles.

Some veterans did not feel properly honoured for having served their country in Vietnam. In 1987, veterans received the welcome home parade that some felt had been denied them when they returned from war. Around 22,000 Vietnam veterans marched through Sydney in front of a crowd of some 100,000 Australians. The book Homecomings recounts those experiences.

The Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial on Anzac Parade in Canberra was officially dedicated on 3 October 1992. It commemorates all the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force and associated personnel who served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

In South Australia, Vietnam veterans are represented by several different ex-service organisations, including the RSL. Some of these organisations include the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia and the Vietnam Veterans' Federation South Australian Branch. On behalf of people living in King I attended a Vietnam Veterans' Day service at Montague Farm. I represented the South Australian government, Minister David Pisoni and the people living in King at this important commemoration along with Senator David Fawcett and candidate for Wright Graham Reynolds and other people in this place, including the member for Wright.

We heard a Welcome to Country from Uncle Frank Wanganeen, a prayer from chaplain Patrick Garton and a poem from Mawson Lakes School students. We heard from guest speaker Colonel Neil Bradley and stand fast and thanks by Pieter Dawson, President, Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia South Australian Branch, northern suburbs sub-branch. And we heard an incredibly moving speech by our Governor of South Australia, His Excellency the Hon. Hieu Van Le, who attends every year.

Thank you to all those who served and sacrificed and to those who continue to serve and sacrifice for us. Each year I learn more about service and the sacrifices by the veterans from the guest speakers. This year I was grateful to learn more about the catafalque party. The catafalque party is a guard, usually of four people, that stands watch over the coffin and catafalque of a distinguished person or over a significant monument.

Historically, a guard was placed around the coffin to prevent any interference with the body during the period of lying in state. The guard was referred to as a catafalque party and was therefore always armed. Although the need to protect the body is no longer the imperative, a catafalque party is still mounted for a lying in state as a form of respect for the deceased and, following the historical role, is always armed.

In Australia, a catafalque party acts as sentries for the memorial during annual commemorations. A catafalque party consists of a commander, four sentries and one reserve sentry. The four sentries and the reserve are to be armed; however, the catafalque party commander is not normally armed.

Thank you to the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia South Australian Branch, northern suburbs sub-branch; the Salisbury RSL; and the City of Salisbury for your help with this event this year and every year. The street names of this estate are named after our fallen soldiers. Lest we forget.

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (12:54): My family are very close to the Vietnam War. My children's father is a Vietnam veteran. He was involved as a national service person in artillery and was stationed at what is called The Horseshoe, although I do not believe he had any direct contact with the Battle of Long Tan that day. But many people of course have been able to tell me over the years what exactly went on. Through Rob's service, we were able to settle in a War Service home in Modbury Heights, and that was where I met the wonderful Jock Clarkson who introduced me to Moose Dunlop and many of the other men—men like Len Opie, Bob Kearney and the regimental doctor, Dr Don Beard.

Also, up the street from us was a house where John Bailey lived, then President of the RSL. It was a shock one day to see him and Bruce Ruxton commissioning a flagpole on a Sunday morning as I walked past with my dogs. Of course, nothing should surprise you when you look back on the sorts of things that were happening because, as has been said, Vietnam veterans were not welcomed back to Australia in the way we would do so now.

Agent Orange has played a great part in our life because many children of the men in my husband's platoon suffered neurological disorders very young in their life, and our own son had a stroke as a child, which was pretty frightening but nothing you can actually sheet home to Agent Orange. We have no doubt in our mind it must have had something to do with it, as there was no history of neurological disorder on either side of the family before Rob's war service.

My association with the Royal Australian Regiment, through my association with Moose, Dogs, Len and of course Jock, has been long. I have been lucky enough to be associated with them for more than 25 years in a formal fashion, but for 40 years and beyond because of my husband's service. I would like to acknowledge here the work that the RAR Association does every year and particularly thank Catherine Lambert, the Terrace Singers and piper Des Ross for their participation in the ceremonies when we are able to have them at the RAR headquarters at Burnside.

This year was the 75th commemoration of the Battle of Long Tan. As other members have said, we gathered at the Montague Farm Estate in the electorate of Florey in the presence of all the dignitaries mentioned and the Governor. It was also good to have Alan Fraser, a Long Tan veteran, actually present on the day. Alan and his wife, Margaret, and their family are friends, and it was good to see them there.

As has been mentioned, New Zealand Colonel Neil Bradley gave a great speech. One of the things that came home to me during the day was that our men did go off to battle. As the Laurence Binyon poem For the Fallen says in the verse before the ode, they went ‘with songs to battle’ because they had heard the strains of Little Pattie and Col Joye as they marched off to the battle.

I was able to visit Long Tan and was privileged to go there with a group led by Bill Denny with Spike, Navy Moose, Eric and my now friend Meredith Wyles, who is a former president of Legacy South Australia. Meredith's birthday, remarkably, is Long Tan day. Her husband, Tony, served with distinction. He has sadly passed on, and we all remember Long Tan day as a very special day.

History unfortunately does repeat itself, and the scenes we have seen recently are scenes we have seen before. Until we learn from history, I do fear for world peace, which is a concept very close to everyone's heart and should be something we talk about more often and really strive to achieve because without an effort to maintain peace the same tragedies will recur.

I would like to remember all the fallen and those who have come back injured or mentally unwell or impaired in other ways. I acknowledge, too, as other members have done, that these injuries last forever. I thank them and their families for all they have done. We certainly do remember their service. Lest we forget.

Mr BOYER (Wright) (12:58): In closing, I would like to thank all those members who have made contributions this morning on this very important commemorative occasion. It is important that this remains an area of bipartisanship. I know that having spoken to veterans at many events, let's be honest, no-one really likes a political spat, but I think never less so than when it comes to military service and our veterans. I am very pleased that the contributions that have been made today have been made in that spirit, and I think we have reflected well upon ourselves as members of parliament in South Australia.

Finally, I urge members of this place at this time to reach out through their networks—whether they be the local RSL or veterans they know who live in their seats—to ask if any assistance can be given to them or to other veterans they may know, given all the feelings that will be bubbling to the surface due to what has happened in Afghanistan.

Motion carried.

Sitting suspended from 13:00 to 14:00.

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