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Vietnam vets honoured around nation - Coffee Break - 08-18-2007 09:30 AM
IT is important to remember all veterans who have served in Australia's armed services, irrespective of age or war, the RSL said today as Vietnam Veterans' Day was commemorated in ceremonies around the country.
The date once marked the Battle of Long Tan which took place in August 1966 but now has been adapted by all veterans of the war.
In Canberra, plaques were unveiled to acknowledge the repatriation of the remains of two Australian soldiers declared missing in action in the Vietnam War.
In Brisbane, between 200 and 300 people, many of them members of the Vietnam Veterans bikie gang, marched in remembrance of the war and the mates they lost.
RSL Queensland president Doug Formby said there has been renewed interest in commemorating the day.
"We older veterans welcome back the younger veterans, those who served in Vietnam, and more recently, in Iraq," Mr Formby said.
"It's easy for veterans to remember the war they fought in while forgetting the others.
"So it's very important that veterans don't turn their backs on other veterans."
The Vietnam war was very unpopular among the Australian public, and the people who fought did not deserve the backlash they suffered at home, Mr Formby said.
Days like today are an opportunity for veterans to remember the good times and honour their mates, he said.
News Limited