Vietnam veterans will gather next week to remember their mates who did not return from the war.
Ex-navy man Dom Higgins will be among those paying tribute to fallen comrades at Greenbank RSL's Vietnam Veterans Day service.
Noel Shipp, who was killed in action, will be among those in Mr Higgins' mind.
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Leading Air Crewman Shipp joined up in Brisbane on the same day as Mr Higgins, in January 1963, but the pair went back further.
Leading Air Crewman Shipp went to high school with Diane Mercer, who would become Diane Higgins.
He was sent to join the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam as an air gunner, and died when his Iroquois chopper took heavy fire and crashed.
He is one of many who Greenbank will commemorate during the 11am service on Wednesday.
"It is a reflection for all those blokes," Mr Higgins, who now lives at Slacks Creek, said.
Navy members do not get the level of recognition that the army and air force personnel did, Mr Higgins said.
He said it was especially true of Vietnam, where he served on two tours.
"You have to speak up, or they'll forget about you," he said.
"It's mostly about the army. They forget the navy was up there, even though we fired thousands of rounds into Vietnam."
Mr Higgins, an able seaman and mechanical engineer, served on the HMAS Melbourne, Duchess, Sydney and Vendetta.
Most of his time was spent cruising up and down the coast, on standby.
The vessels occasionally went to action stations, but the crew mostly just watched proceedings from afar.
"I saw it [action] from a few miles out," he said.
Refreshments will follow next week's service, giving old mates the chance to reminisce over a beer.
The ranks were thinning, Mr Higgins said, with fewer veterans returning every year.
"We lose a few every year," he said.
"It seems to be speeding up. Maybe I'm getting close to the end of the branch."
Sub branch secretary Doug Watts urged people to get to the club and thank veterans for their involvement for the conflict.
According to the Australian War Memorial, 521 Australians died and more than 3000 were wounded.
"It's important to get down there and pay tribute to our Vietnam veterans," he said.
The club will follow COVID-19 protocols on the day.
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