Beating the odds
Beating the odds
August 16, 2006
Section: Community
Harry Davenport of the Albion Park RSL Sub Branch and Cliff Ball of the Illawarra Vietnam Veterans Association
THE 40th Anniversary of The Battle of Long Tan will be held this Friday on August 18.
The Battle of Long Tan is the only major engagement that took place between Australian soldiers and the enemy in South Vietnam and resulted in a conclusive victory against great odds.
Cliff Ball of the Illawarra Vietnam Veterans Association spent about 12 months in Vietnam in 1968 when he was 21 years old.
He said the experience was surprisingly similar to the television series Mash.
It would get to be quite boring and then out of nowhere something would happen. There were diversions all the time, he said.
He said while in Vietnam he developed a fatalist attitude.
If that bullet has your name on it then you are going to get it, he said.
He said activities to be held this weekend are about remembering the battle rather than celebrating it.
While youre there the bloke next to you is foremost in your mind. We will remember the fellowship and the mateship, he said.
A dinner dance will be held at the Master Builders Club this Friday evening. The Illawarra Vietnam Veterans Association is inviting all Vietnam veterans to attend whether they are members of the sub branch or not as well as veterans of other wars and friends and guests of members.
This Sunday the commemorative service for Vietnam Veterans Day will be held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Flagstaff Hill. The service will start with a march to the memorial, followed by the Long Tan address, the laying of wreaths, the dedication of a commemorative plaque for the latest member of the branch to pass away, the reading of a poem and playing the last post.
This Friday nine schools from the area will experience a display of Vietnam memorabilia from Sydney at the Albion Park RSL Memorial Club.
Each school will experience a short service and a wreath laying ceremony before getting the chance to look through the memorabilia on display.
This display is also open to the public between 10 am and 2 pm. No alcohol is permitted in the area of the club the memorabilia is set up.