He may not have been old enough to legally drink beer in Australia at the time, but Vietnam Vets president Neil Webb was old enough to serve in a war.
Vietnam Veterans’ Day on Wednesday 18 August is a time to reflect on the qualities of courage and perseverance that characterised the Australians’ service in Vietnam.
Noosa local Neil was a soldier in the Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) group Charlie Company.
“I came out from England when I was 16 and when I was 18 I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so I joined the Army,“ Neil said.
“I joined the infantry and went to Vietnam in February and we came back to Australia in October.“
Charlie Company set the record for the longest single operation in the history of the Vietnam War (52 days) and possibly for the entire Australian Army.
In World War Two, soldiers averaged 40 days in four years in combat in the jungle, an average of 10 days per year, Charlie Company did more than five years’ worth in the first operation alone.
“I was an infantry bloke, so most of the time we lived in the bush, or the jungle whatever you want to call it,“ Neil said.
“Most of the time we were in the jungle searching for the enemy and having a few sharp contacts with them, but majority of the time they basically ran away. They didn’t want to fight the Australian troops because they knew that the Australian troops would stay because we didn’t give up.
“As an infantry soldier, we went across as a battalion, which meant you made friendships. We had some good times. You laugh over stupid things and all that type of stuff.“
Neil is still friends with many of his fellow soldiers to this day, including John Ginnivan. Their families go on holiday together.
“I was 19 when we went over there and when we came back to Queensland with some of our mates on leave, we got in trouble at a pub because I wasn’t old enough to be able to buy a beer,“ Neil said.
“So you can go over there fighting but I wasn’t capable enough of drinking a beer here, as the drinking age was 21.“
In June this year Australia held a national service, which Neil attended, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Operation Overlord, including the Battle of Long Khanh.
Operation Overlord began on 5 June 1971, when Australian troops were deployed to prevent the enemy from gaining a foothold in Phuoc Tuy Province.
“I went down to Canberra for the reunion,“ Neil said.
“We had to get special permission from the government to go into a different province to chase the North Vietnamese.
“So the friendship stays there because if you’re relying on them to look after you, and they’re relying on you to look after them, you get to know each other pretty well,“ he said.
The Battle of Long Khanh saw three Australians killed and numerous others wounded, with a further seven Australians killed five days later.
Vietnam Veterans’ Day is a day to commemorate their service and sacrifice, and reflect on the cost of operations like Overlord to those involved and their families back home.
“It’s good to get back with your mates again to have a few beers,“ Neil said.
A small group in the Noosa community will come together to pay respect on Vietnam Veterans’ Day on Wednesday 18 August at Tewantin-Noosa RSL.
Due to the current Covid 19 restrictions, the parade has cancelled with only a small gathering at RSL Memorial Park followed by a wreath laying.
The Diggers’ Bar will be open from 5pm to 6pm with the Sub Branch shouting drinks for Vietnam Veterans wearing medals, and their partners. This will be followed by a private ticketed function in the RSL Club.
