While Australia’s last remaining ANZAC diggers have long since passed, there are still thousands of veterans living with the impacts of the Vietnam conflict. According to statistics from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs on conditions affecting Vietnam war veterans, there are currently more than 47,000 veterans receiving treatment for over 200,000 different conditions resulting from their service in Vietnam. On average, each of those veterans suffers from at least 4 conditions, ranging from hearing loss and tinnitus to hypertension, substance abuse and of course anxiety disorders and PTSD.

Though ANZAC DAY saw far more deaths in a much shorter time, the Vietnam War’s living legacy is much greater. For this reason, commemorations such as Vietnam Veterans’ Day are so critical. Held annually on the 18th of August, the day recognises and shows gratitude to the veterans of that war - 3000 of whom were wounded - and remembers the 523 lives that were lost during that conflict. 

Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War commenced in July 1962 and lasted for 12 years until the last platoon departed in June 1973. It was Australia’s longest military engagement of the 20th century. Over 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam, many of who were involuntarily conscripted in their late teens and returned home forever changed. 

As is the case with all wars, the ‘why’ is always difficult to explain. In the case of Vietnam, Australia’s involvement came down to politics and power. Australia and New Zealand had identified their global vulnerability after WWII and in an effort to build security and ongoing peace, partnered with the US by signing the ANZUS treaty in September 1951. This agreement is still in place today and requires the nations involved to consult with each other on actions in the face of perceived threats, among other things. 

The Vietnam conflict originated in US concerns about the spread of communism in Europe and Asia in the early 1960s. Their belief was that if communist controlled North Vietnam took over South Vietnam, communism would in turn spread to other countries in Asia and the Pacific. As this conflict escalated, Australia’s perceived obligation to support the US’s campaign led to army, air force, navy, and conscripted civilians being dispatched to the region. Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam war was the cause of great conflict which characterised much of the social and political history of the country in the late 1960s. The Australian War Memorial’s detailed history on the Vietnam War is a fascinating read.   

Just a few years into the conflict, one of the most significant actions of the war happened, leaving a number of Australians dead or wounded. On the 18th of August 1966 the Battle of Long Tan unfolded. Over just four hours amidst a heavy tropical downpour in a rubber plantation in South Vietnam an Australian regiment faced around 2000 Vietnamese troops; it’s on this anniversary that Vietnam Veterans’ Day is recognised. 

For surviving veterans the legacy of these intense battles is long lasting. The earliest records of how trauma impacted mental health can be traced back to the beginning of time. However, the impacts of war and conflict started to gain clinical recognition in the 1970s as US veterans of the Vietnam War (along with Holocaust survivors and sexual trauma victims) reported strikingly similar symptoms and began to receive clinical diagnoses of the condition. It became officially recognised in 1980 as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by the American Psychiatric Association - or PTSD as it is now widely known. 

Of the more than 202,000 conditions suffered by Vietnam veterans today, PTSD is one of the most significant - falling into the top three along with hearing loss and tinnitus. Almost 19,000 veterans are receiving treatment today for PTSD in one form or another, more than 50 years after the last troops departed Vietnam. Its prevalence amongst the veteran community cannot be denied with symptoms exacerbated for many as commemorative days like ANZAC Day, Remembrance Day and Vietnam Veterans Day occur.  

The purpose of Vietnam Veterans’ Day is not to open old wounds, or having to manage triggers of traumatic memories, but to make space for the nation to pause and reflect on the shared experience of those who took part. The ANZAC portal beautifully captures the intent of the day by stating “We honour those veterans who lost their lives during battle, returned home wounded, ill or injured, lost their lives in the years since they returned, still carry the physical and emotional scars of their service. We also pause to reflect on the impact of service on veterans' families.”

For information on services and events in your local area this Sunday, contact your local RSL or state memorial. If you’re a veteran, know a veteran or are the family member of a veteran who is going through difficulties, you can contact the Australian Government’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs for assistance or contact us at Carry on and we can point you in the right direction.