AUSTRALIA as a nation has "dropped the ball" and is not the country today many signed up to fight for during the Vietnam War, a veteran has told attendees at a Vietnam Veterans Day commemorative service in Greenbank.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
About 250 people attended the commemorative service at Greenbank RSL on Sunday, recognising those who served and those who fell in the Vietnam War between 1962-1973.
Vietnam War veteran Michael "Gundy" Manning gave the address, speaking of how much times had changed since he and his friends enlisted and how the country had changed markedly, and not necessarily for the better, in the intervening years.
Mr Manning said at the time of the Vietnam War, sportspeople were to be looked up to, politicians were respected and fighting overseas was seen as a necessity to protect Australia's interests.
"We believed the enemies of our country were outside our borders," he said.
"As a 20-year-old going to Vietnam, we believed we were contributing to the improvement of our country."
Mr Manning said things were different nowadays and "the Australia we have today is not the Australia we envisioned 40 years ago".
However, he said it was not too late to bring the nation back on track and urged attendees to think for the future.
Logan City Brass Band member Amy Michaels performed uplifting renditions of Amazing Grace and Be Still My Soul as well as the Australian and New Zealand national anthems at the service, which lacked a catafalque party.
Greenbank RSL sub-branch president Barry Macdonald said he was pleased with the turnout, especially given Vietnam Veterans Day had a much lower profile than Anzac Day but was still an important event.
He heartily endorsed Mr Manning's speech, describing it as inspiring, and said he planned to reprint it in the RSL's newsletter.