IN PICTURES: Albany RSL remembers the effects of war on servicemen with Vietnam Veterans Day commemoration

The Albany RSL coordinated a second commemorative service within a month with the Vietnam Veterans Day service on Sunday. The service is held across Australia each year on August 18 to commemorate the Australian involvement in the war in South Vietnam from 1962 to the withdrawal of the first Australian Task Force in 1972. More than 50,000 Australian Defence personnel and civilians served in the conflict and sadly 523 were killed and thousands wounded. The conflict saw a massive increase in the call-up and involvement of young national servicemen. Due to the inclement weather on Sunday, the service was modified and held in the RSL clubrooms, with about 140 attending. These ranged from Vietnam veterans, RSL members, the public and many Army and Navy Cadets. As usual, the City of Albany Band and vocalist Dione Nesbitt provided critical musical support along with piper Andy Davis. A feature of the service was the placing of floral tributes on three white crosses positioned in front of the RSL clubrooms’ “cross”. The small crosses were positioned in memory of Private Ron Bell, Sapper Allan Duncuff and Private John McOuat — three young Albany men killed in Vietnam. Retired Army Brigadier Richard Lawler gave the keynote address — speaking from the heart and visibly affected — about service in Vietnam and the effects on many like him who served their country in a time of need. Many of these members still carry the mental scars from their service more than 50 years ago. The speech was the last that Brigadier Lawler will present after serving 35 years in the Australian Army and filling various honorary appointments and speaking roles for the last 25 years since he resigned from the Defence Force. Michael Tugwell is services director at the RSL Sub-Branch Albany.