by Keith Anderson
The end of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam war 50 years ago has been reflected upon by local veterans of the conflict and their families at a function in Warragul on April 20.
But the event might not have happened, as Warragul RSL president Lynn Mizen pointed out, had it not been at for a "tidy up" of the clubrooms last January.
The "tidy up" unearthed a couple of boxes of memorabilia that had been stowed away for almost half a century.
Included in them were crocks of port donated by a local Vietnam veteran, the late Bill Slegers, encased in time capsules made and funded by a group of locals.
The find came just in time.
Written on the cases were "instructions" that the port was to be uncorked and drunk on the 50th anniversary of the last Australians leaving Vietnam and included the specific date of April 20, 2025.
Some 90 people attended the uncorking - and drinking of the port - and reflected on their connection to the war.
One visitor was Bill Kettles; not a serviceman but in the 1960s and then living in Tasmania he and his two brothers were "The Singing Kettles" who travelled to Vietnam with many other leading Australian artists to entertain troops.
Principal speaker Ivan Standen, who served with the Army in Vietnam in 1969-70, spent some 30 years afterwards on the committee and as an advocate for the West Gippsland Vietnam Veterans Association, a body formed to assist veterans from the conflict receive appropriate compensation and welfare support and which operated a volunteer staffed welfare centre in the region until early this year.
The Warragul RSL was the base of the WGVVA.
Mr Standen reflected on opposition to Australia's involvement in Vietnam with the troops that went there a focus for much of the criticism and pointing out it was not until 1987 that a "Welcome Home Parade" was held.
He recalled times during the conflict when postal unions refused to process mail for the troops and maritime unions stopped loading beer for the troops on ships to Vietnam.
It took 20 to 30 years for public attitudes to change with Mr Standen referring to the respect Vietnam veterans now receive.