Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Warren Snowdon, and Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, David Feeney, today clarified information about support provided to veterans to attend two medals ceremonies related to the Battle of Long Tan.
Minister Snowdon said ‘It has been alleged the Commonwealth did not provide support to relevant veterans to attend individual awards which were invested in Canberra on 17 August last year.
‘These awards should be a cause for great satisfaction to the ex-service community, and to Vietnam veterans in particular,’ Minister Snowdon said.
Senator David Feeney, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence said ‘The government has the greatest respect for all our Vietnam veterans, including the veterans of Long Tan.
‘I particularly recognise the great gallantry shown by Lieutenant Colonel Smith, who was Officer Commanding D Company, 6RAR, at Long Tan. I welcome the fact that after independent investigations it has been decided to upgrade the honours awarded to these veterans and to 6RAR as a unit,’ Senator Feeney said.
In August 1966 the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, (6RAR) fought a major engagement near Long Tan in South Vietnam, in which 18 Australians and a large number of Vietnamese communist troops were killed.
Long Tan veterans campaigned for many years for greater recognition both for individuals who took part in the battle and for 6RAR as a unit. After a long investigation, and two independent reviews, the Government announced in August 2008 that four Long Tan veterans would be offered individual medals, and that 6RAR would be awarded the Unit Citation for Gallantry. The individual veterans were Lieutenant Colonel (ret) Harry Smith, Major (ret) Geoff Kendall, 2nd Lieutenant (ret) Dave Sabben, and the late Flight Lieutenant Cliff Dohle.