THERE is no memorial for Vietnam War veterans at the Kalbar War Memorial site.
The 18th of August marks the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s commitment to the Vietnam war.
The call for more recognition has been trumpeted for decades, and as half a century rolls around this call has become even louder.
Kalbar RSL Sub-Branch welfare officer Stephen Pace has been advocating for veterans for decades.
The Vietnam War is a conflict that has been polarising in the court of public opinion.
Now 50 years later and with no memorial to Vietnam veterans at Kalbar, the fight for recognition continues.
The Fassifern Guardian met with three of this war’s veterans and the widow of one who passed away in his later years after developing cancer.
They are speaking up now in the hope the gratitude and respect they feel for their fellow soldiers, will be felt by the public and reciprocated.
DAVID JOHNSON
Mr Johnson served with the 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment for 366 days between 12 May 1966 until 2 February 1967.
“It is that time of the year where you stop and think about what you went through in those times,” he said.
“There were a lot of people who were against what we were doing over there and I think that affected us a lot.                                                                                                                        “I think it’s time to get together and have that mateship where you get together and remember who you were, what you did and also your mates who didn’t come back.”
His battalion was sent to Nui Dat, Vietnam to set up a basecamp in 1966, which he describes as being a ‘whole new area’.
‘After six months 6RAR came over,” he said.
“I was there, 20 years old and you’re sort of thrown into the deep end a bit.”
His ambition wasn’t to be a soldier, he joined the army with a view to becoming a better musician because the army band ‘play their instruments all day long’.
The cornet and tenor horn player said his plan didn’t quite turn out the way he envisaged.
He continued to play the cornet and tenor base until just recently when asthma made it too hard to carry on.
DAVID SHORT
Navy man David Short was part of the crew that escorted HMAS Sydney into Vietnam along with the HMAS Vendetta and a couple of other ships.
He was just 23.
“We didn’t see any action, so there was nothing bad to think about really but when we were in Sydney and in uniform walking on the streets...people would call us murderers,” he said.
“I was in communications...a signal officer, flag waver.
“I joined the navy in 1962 and completed 12 months of service and recruit training, then we went to HMAS Melbourne for two years and eight months.
“Our job was to receive all the signals from navy officers, take it into the Melbourne, print it and distribute it to all the officers of the ship.”
He said they were returning from the Far East when the start of the Vietnam War interrupted the homecoming.
“We had to slow down and spend a couple of weeks [in the Middle East] before returning to Australia.”
JEFF BURNELL
JEFF Burnell served with A and B Squadrons, 3rd Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam.
He served for 366 days in Vietnam from 8 October 1968 until 8 October 1969.
“I was in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps and worked as a crew commander,” he said.
“My PTSD...well that happens every other day and there is nothing I can do about it.
“I married a lovely woman and she is probably the only reason why I am here today.
“If you’ve got good mates, well that really helps a lot.”
Working as crew commander meant ferrying infantry around and doing a multitude of different jobs.
“Basically, we were workhorses and just did whatever was required,” he explained.                                                                                                                                                                    “I think PTSD affects different people differently but one of the really nasty things about me was my emotions...stuffed them up completely.
“I’d find it hard to even love me own kids, and that’s nasty.
“Agent Orange comes into that too because my first born was stillborn and the next one disabled. 
“My daughter thankfully has got a job, but she is also disabled.
“My other son has got problems too and I believe it’s due to Agent Orange.”
GREGORY FYSH
GREGORY Fysh was a Signalman and served with 104 Signal Squadron in Vietnam.
He served in Vietnam for 360 days from 10 February 1970 to 4 February 1971.
He died after fighting multiple cancers later in life.
His widow Gail takes up the story on her husband’s behalf.
“My husband and I met after he came back from Vietnam, I didn’t know he had been to Vietnam when I met him,” she said.
“I was in the Signal Cor as was he.
“I have lived his horror day in and day out.
“We have three children, and they were taught from a young age not to come to the side of the bed because he would react, so they had to go to the end of the bed.
“He wasn’t a harmful person or anything like that, it was just how they lived over there.”
In later years of life Greg developed cancer.
“As much as what people don’t like to talk about Agent Orange, well it was caused by Agent Orange and for 11 and a half years I and the rest of our family lived the horrors Greg went through.
“How he did it, I will never know.”
Mrs Fysh said the cancers started with him loosing part of his tongue and then as it coursed through his body so many developed she lost count.
“He had so many operations it filled foolscap pages, and that is what these guys went through that people don’t understand,” she said.
“And yet, when they came back to Australia, they were bought in in the dark because no one wanted to know.
“He had a father who was in the air force and even he belittled his own son by saying ‘you wouldn’t have a clue what war was mate’.
When Mr Fysh retired the couple moved to Boonah, the area Mrs Fysh grew up within.
“We moved but he couldn’t settle,” she explained.
“He was very private person because, as he said ‘nobody understands him’ and he also said if it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t be here.
“And that’s the story I want to get across, and it’s that the average ‘Joe Blow’ has no idea what these guys went through.
“I will do anything to try and make people understand.”
FIGHT FOR RECOGNITION
KALBAR RSL sub-branch vice president Wayne Norris has been actively working towards creating a memorial to Vietnam vets.                                                                                           “A while ago I had the pleasure of meeting a senator who came to Kalbar to present flags,” he said.
“While she was here I said, ‘is there anything you can do to show recognition for the wives and families of Vietnam vets?’ she said well, ‘I can try’ and eventually gave a remembrance speech in parliament where she mentioned Kalbar RSL.
“I asked again about recognition but that was basically the end of it.
“She did ring me back later on and gave me some contacts, but they didn’t want to know anything about it either.”
KALBAR’S GRATITUDE FOR SERVICE
GRATITUDE and appreciation can help to heal at least some of the mental battles most war veterans face on a daily basis.
This is why Stephen Pace from Kalbar RSL Sub-Branch has organised the presentation of medallions and certificates to Vietnam Veterans on Friday.
“We are trying to promote as many people in the district as possible to be a part of this commemoration,” he said.
“Recognition will be by the way of a presentation of the commemorative medallion and certificate presented to each of them on the day.
“This is about remembering the service of these members and it is something which should be remembered just like any other personnel who have participated conflict.”
You can show your gratitude and appreciation for those who served in the Vietnam War by attending the service at Kalbar War Memorial on Friday at 11am.