Fed: Billson apologises to Vietnam vets

AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2006
Fed: Billson apologises to Vietnam vets

By Nick Butterly

CANBERRA, Aug 15 AAP - Veterans Affairs Minister Bruce Billson has apologised to Australians
who served in Vietnam for the way they were treated when they came home.

The minister has also warned of the complexities of issuing new bravery medals to veterans
amid calls from Labor for an independent review into the fairness of the awards system.

"During the course of our involvement in the Vietnam War, Australia became divided
and it is regrettable that acrimony from amongst those who opposed the war was directed
at men and women who simply did what their nation asked of them," Mr Billson said while
launching the book and website before a group of Vietnam veterans in Canberra.

"For many Vietnam veterans there were no ticker tape parades on your return ... we,
as a nation, let you guys down.

"On behalf of a grateful nation I say thank you and I apologise for the shortcomings
of a reception that you had earned but were not delivered when you returned home," he
said.

But Mr Billson rejected calls for a new inquiry into the issuing of new medals to veterans.

Labor MP and Vietnam veteran Graham Edwards is calling for an inquiry, saying many
Long Tan veterans were not properly recognised.

Mr Billson conceded the fact that some Long Tan veterans had not received medals was
an "injustice", but that the issuing of new medals could open another can of worms, because
those who missed out this time might have cause to feel badly done by.

He said the issue was being investigated by the department.

The book, Vietnam: Our war - Our peace, brings together 44 stories from the Vietnam
veteran's community.

The book and the online register were launched as part of a series of events commemorating
the 40th anniversary of the battle of Long Tan.

Vietnam was the longest conflict Australia was involved in. More than 60,000 Australians
served there and 520 died.

Australian veteran Lieutenant General John Coates said he knew of veterans who had
begun suffering from post traumatic stress disorder in only the past few weeks.

He said landmines were among the most feared weapons Australians encountered during
the conflict, and at one point his command was losing one armoured personnel carrier (APC)
a week to them.

In the book, he tells of the terrible times he had to clean the blood and bone of dead
Australian soldiers out of an APC with a high pressure hose after it had been hit by a
mine.

He recalled he was forced to constantly boost the moral of his troops - telling them
they were morally right to be fighting - when news filtered back of the bad treatment
of returning soldiers by war protesters.

AAP nb/sb/sd

KEYWORD: VETERANS

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