Vietnam vets museum opens

news.com.au ^ | 9th March 2007 | Kate Lahey

[naturalman1975]

GRAEME Kerford was only 19 when a marble representing his date of birth was plucked from a barrel, sending him to war in Vietnam.

After a year based at Nui Dat, the conscripted soldier returned home to be spat on.

Today, Mr Kerford was among more than 1000 veterans, their families and members of the Vietnamese community, to witness the opening of Australia's first museum dedicated to their war.

"It means the world to me," Mr Kerford said.

Mr Kerford, a machine gunner, travelled to the new National Vietnam Veterans Museum on Phillip Island in Victoria's southeast from his home in Hampton Park, about an hour's drive away.

He said he would be back again with his mates.

Of the war itself he said: "It was hard and I didn't like it".

His return home in 1968 was also hard to bear.

"I got paint thrown on me, I got spat on. I never got told `thanks for doing that'," he said.

Today he was thanked by Victorian Premier Steve Bracks.

"You went to Vietnam to defend our principles of democracy, of tolerance of equality," Mr Bracks told veterans at today's opening.

"In return, many of you were greeted by intolerance and inequality – the democracy you fought for failed you and failed your families.

"That injustice must never be repeated. Your efforts, your ideals and your sacrifices must never be forgotten."

The words brought tears to several men in the crowd.

[naturalman1975]

"You went to Vietnam to defend our principles of democracy, of tolerance of equality. In return, many of you were greeted by intolerance and inequality – the democracy you fought for failed you and failed your families.

That injustice must never be repeated. Your efforts, your ideals and your sacrifices must never be forgotten.

Steve Bracks personally believes the Vietnam War was unnecessary. Now, I don't like the man much, and I really don't like his politics, but yesterday he stood out as an example of how a person can oppose a particular war, and still show due and proper respect for the people who fought it. Too many of those who oppose particular wars, seem to forget that the men and women who put their lives on the line to fight them, and who give their lives, have very little to do with the politics. They serve their country.

Posted in memory of my father.

[naturalman1975]

Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing-out parade at Puckapunyal
It was a long march from cadets
The sixth battalion was the next to tour, and it was me who drew the card
We did Canungra, Shoalwater before we left

And Townsville lined the footpaths as we marched down to the quay
This clipping from the paper shows us young and strong and clean
And there's me in my slouch hat with my SLR and greens
God help me, I was only nineteen

From Vung Tau, riding Chinooks, to the dust at Nui Dat
I'd been in and out of choppers now for months
But we made our tents a home, VB and pinups on the lockers
And an Asian orange sunset through the scrub

And can you tell me, doctor, why I stil can't get to sleep?
And night-time's just a jungle dark and a barking M16?
And what's this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means?
God help me, I was only ninteen

A four week operation when each step could mean your last one on two legs
It was a war within yourself
But you wouldn't let your mates down til they had you dusted off
So you closed your eyes and thought about something else

Then someone yelled out "Contact!" and the bloke behind me swore
We hooked in there for hours, then a Godalmighty roar
Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon
God help me, he was going home in June

I can still see Frankie, drinking tinnies in the Grand Hotel
On a thirty-six hour rec leave in Vung Tau
And I can still hear Frankie, lying screaming in the jungle
Til the morphine came and killed the bloody row

And the Anzac legends didn't mention mud and blood and tears
And the stories that my father told me never seemed quite real
I caught some pieces in my back that I didn't even feel
God help me, I was only nineteen

And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can't get to sleep?
And why the Channel Seven chopper chills me to my feet?
And what's this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means?
God help me, I was only nineteen.

[naturalman1975]

Possibly of interest for your Vietnam ping list, and please add me to that list

[La Enchiladita]

Pinging the FR Vietnam Veterans Ping list, to which you have been added, naturalman1975.

Thank you for the message from the Australian brothers.

[proudmilitarymrs]

To every one of you all that served in that particular vivisection of hell....


Thank you, and thank you mothers and fathers, and your brothers and sisters...........

I was just a kid, but I knew that my Dad was in deep doo and my brother was there too. I thank you all. They both came home. I knew many that were'nt so lucky. I thank them every day. I mean to stand with you all, in my father's memory to protect that Memorial! We will not fail we will not falter, we will prevail, we are the Veterans of the United States of America!

[Triggerhippie]

That is a good tune from Redgum.


I never did get the:

"Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon
God help me, he was going home in June"

line though.

The Apollo 11 mission was in July. If Frankie stepped on the mine in July he had to have been back in Oz for at least two weeks...

[proudmilitarymrs]

good point

[naturalman1975]

Yes, I think you have to assume it was one of the other Apollo missions to make it work. Or that Frankie, for reason, didn't get to go home in June as he was supposed to, and that cost him his leg.

[naturalman1975]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gmgwx77osw

You might find this interesting. An Australian hip hop band recently did a cover of I was only nineteen

. Not my style of music, but their video that went behind it was quite good. This youtube video takes the original Redgum musical recording and overlays it over the video. I rather like it.

[La Enchiladita]

Good for the Vietnam Veterans Association for persevering in having the museum built and assembled, as well as having the Huey delivered and installed...!!

It's hard to tell from the article, what the general Australian POV is on having this tribute to Vietnam veterans.

[naturalman1975]

I would say that the general view in Australia today is that the Vietnam Veterans deserve the same honour and respect as all other Veterans. Even those who believe the war was a mistake generally honour those who died and served. Their argument is with the politicians, not with the diggers.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

TANKS,Dita,,,bout time Mr. "DIGGER" got his due...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~history and pics~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-conflicts-periods/vietnam/raa-svn.htm

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-conflicts-periods/vietnam/nui_dat.htm

[La Enchiladita]

Lovely links, COUNT.
They thought of everything:

Heh heh.

[zot]

Thanks for the ping. I'm glad the Aussies get it, even though a lot of Americans still don't.

[Triggerhippie]

The video was quite good.

April 25 is just around the corner; it's good to be reminded of the sacrifices made for civilization's sake.

[La Enchiladita]

They sure don't and I'm past tired of it.
Some great Digger history linked in post #12.

[neverdem]

What's the name of the poem, and who wrote it? I was assigned to the Vung Tau Army Airfield Security Platoon from April 70 to January 71. Around Christmas in 1970, the Aussies, Uk Da Loi in Vietnamese, nailed a company of VC near Vung Tau.

The place has excellent beaches. It was one helluva place for an eighteen year to get debauched. I returned for in country R & R during 72. My best friend from first grade in grammar school was assigned to my rifle company for a few weeks during June 72 not that far fron Bien Hoa before I left the US Army. I'll see him tomorrow.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

;0)

[naturalman1975]

It's actually a song, not a poem (you can hear it if you click on the link in post number 9). It is officially called A Walk In the Light Green but is almost universally referred to as I Was Only Nineteen. It was written by John Schumann, and performed by his band Redgum in the early to mid 1980s.

Australia's Vietnam veterans have taken it as an unofficial anthem.

[neverdem]

BTTT