A commemorative service to mark 60 years since the arrival of the Australian Army Training Team in South Vietnam on August 3, 1962, will be broadcast by the ABC from the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial in Canberra tomorrow (August 18).
It also marks 50 years since the withdrawal of combat troops in 1972.
Recognising that many Vietnam Veterans and families of those killed in action are either too frail or do not have the financial resources to attend the ceremony but would willingly visit their local cemetery, vigils were held at cemeteries around the country, including Christ Church Illawarra, near Longford, on August 4 and Carr Villa, Launceston, on August 3.
The aim of the smaller vigils was to recognize individual loss in a more intimate setting – putting the spotlight on the local soldiers out of the nine Australians who were killed and 17 who were wounded in a battle with the Viet Cong in Bien Hoa province.
The soldiers killed were:
• Pte Bevan Maxwell Trimble, 21, single, of Bendigo, Victoria, 1st RAR, NS;
• Pte Richard Christopher Allan Watson, 20, single, of Mt Martha, Victoria, 1st RAR;
• Gunnner Ian James Scott, 21, married, of Camperdown, Victoria, 12th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, NS;
• Pte Robert Leo McNab, 20, single, of Keon Park, Victoria, 1st RAR;
• Gunner C. J. Sawtell, 19, single, of Seven Hills, NSW, 12th Field Regiment;
• Pte John Alfred O’Brien, 21, single, of Crows Nest, NSW, 1st RAR, NS;
• Sergeant Peter Edward Lewis, 24, single, of Poochera, 3rd RAR;
• Corporal Robert Bernard Hickey, 24, married, of Holsworthy, NSW, 1st RAR;
• Private Errol John Bailey, 23, married, of Abermaine, NSW, 1st RAR, NS.
Pte Richard Watson’s mother, May Watson (nee Booth), is buried at Christ Church Illawarra, and the plot includes a plaque for Richard, although his final resting place was Springvale Cemetery in Dandenong, Victoria.
It is believed that some of his ashes were later removed to be buried with his mother, who for a period of time before moving to Hobart lived with her husband Richard at Longford property Highfield.
Pte Watson, who was a member of the regular Army and not a conscript, was just 20 years of age, and had only been in Vietnam for 48 days when he died on the night of May 13, 1968 at firebase Coral. Coral had only been established that day by helicopter and Pte Watson was a member of the mortar platoon that had attempted to dig in on a forward position.
Their protection was inadequate, and after a tough battle they were overwhelmed by superior numbers of North Vietnamese troops in the night.
The 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment was commanded by Lt Col Phillip Bennett, who became the 23rd Governor of Tasmania 1987 to 1995.
Defying a passing storm front the rain paused briefly as a small group gathered at the gravesite to remember Pte Watson and his sacrifice and the toll it took on a local family.
Vietnam Veterans Australia Tasmania branch acting president Brian Harper opened the service which was led by retired military Chaplain Vic Hinds.
Pte Watson’s sister Susan Dumesk and her husband Martin, who live interstate and overseas, could not be at the service but sent a letter that was read out by Longford Vietnam veteran Wayne Binns.
In it they said “For reasons not fully explained, but due to some sensitive issues with our Allies, Coral/Balmoral was the subject of suppression for many years. It was in fact one of the most significant and tragic encounters for Australia in the whole conflict”.
“Richard was a fine young man, and his death was very deeply felt. I hope these words will assist your members and we congratulate them for their care and attention to their comrades in arms.”
Wayne Binns was there to honour a fellow Vietnam veteran who fell in the war and he laid a wreath at the graveside.
Mr Binns, like Pte Watson, was a mortarman and rifle platoon signaler in Vietnam, in 1969 and 1970, so the connection was strong and emotions ran high.
“We’re talking about the largest battle that Australians fought in Vietnam, bigger than Long Tan, and much of what happened there is only just coming to light,” he said.
“Our motto is ‘honour the dead and fight like hell for the living’, we don’t want his sacrifice to be forgotten.”