Tomorrow marks Vietnam Veterans’ Day, when we remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women who fought in the Vietnam War and the Battle of Long Tan.

Originally known as Long Tan Day, Vietnam Veterans’ Day on 18 August is a day to commemorate the service and sacrifice of all Australians during the Vietnam War.

The Battle of Long Tan is generally regarded as one of the fiercest battles fought by Australian soldiers during the conflict.

On that day in 1966, 108 Australian and New Zealand soldiers fought a pitched battle against over 2,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops in a rubber plantation not far from the small village of Long Tan.

These brave Australians diggers were vastly outnumbered but prevailed after fighting in torrential rain for four hours.

In the end, 18 Australians lost their lives and more than 20 were wounded, the largest number of casualties in one operation since the Australian task force arrived only months earlier.

More than 60,000 Australian Army, Air Force, Navy and civilian personnel served during Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War over 11 years between 1962 and 1973.

Of these, 521 Australian service personnel died and more than 3,000 were wounded.

Tomorrow, I will attend an Ipswich RSL Sub Branch Vietnam Veterans’ Commemorative Service at the Ipswich Soldiers Memorial Hall, where I will lay a wreath to pay tribute to all those who served in the Vietnam War.

The Vietnam War was the first major conflict to be covered extensively on television and had a profound effect on Australian society, politics and popular culture.

The experiences of Australian soldiers in Vietnam and the struggles of veterans has inspired books, films and music over the years, with iconic songs like “I Was Only 19” and “Khe Sanh” becoming unofficial anthems.

Vietnam veterans have gone on to make a significant contribution to the ex-service and wider Australian community, helping secure many veteran support services, including the Vietnam Veterans’ Counselling Service (now known as Open Arms), and the Long Tan Bursary scheme for children and grandchildren of veterans.  

To learn more about the Vietnam War and Vietnam Veterans’ Day, you can visit the Anzac Portal.