revising long tan

Australian editorial;

Honouring Long Tan

Veterans of the battle at last get the recognition they deserve

ALMOST exactly 40 years ago this weekend, the men of Delta Company, 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, left their base at Nui Dat, southeast of Saigon, and entered hell. As the patrol pushed into a rubber plantation, with the 29 men of 11 Platoon leading the way, the Diggers suddenly found themselves in the midst of a huge encampment of North Vietnamese troops. What happened next was a battle that represented the most important contribution of Australia to the Vietnam War. Officially, Delta Company took out 245 Vietcong; unofficial reports suggest the enemy death toll was far higher. Yet the Vietnamese did not acknowledge their defeat. After the battle, Radio Hanoi broadcast that communist troops took out an entire Australian battalion. It was a slap in the face to the men who were there, but as Cameron Stewart reports in The Weekend Australian Magazine, times have changed. The Vietnamese, specifically the men who commanded the troops, who brutally outnumbered Australian forces and by all rights should have eliminated them, recently uttered the words Australia's Long Tan veterans had waited 40 years to hear: "You won."

Sadly, such closure has been less forthcoming from Canberra. A combination of incompetence, jealousy and the Imperial medal system led to many Long Tan veterans having their medal-worthy performance downgraded to mere mentions in dispatches. Even the commander of Delta Company, Harry Smith, saw his recommendation for a Distinguished Service Order knocked down to a Military Cross. Adding insult to injury, soon after the fight Canberra blocked an attempt by the South Vietnam government to honour the Australian troops who fought in the battle with bravery citations. Although Veterans Affairs Minister Bruce Billson says probably not much can be done to rectify the injustice, it is hoped his department can find an appropriate honour for the survivors.

It has been more than 30 years since the fall of Saigon. Although this newspaper opposed the war in hindsight, the history of Vietnam under communist rule seems to vindicate the effort. Ho Chi Minh's Stalinist regime was monstrous, even as it was lionised in the West. Vietnam still struggles under political and economic repression. But by stemming the totalitarian tide that was sweeping southeast Asia at the time, Australian and US troops may have saved countless millions.