The Battle to be Recognised as a Vietnam Veteran in Australia

World War II men looked upon Vietnam Veterans as participating on a "no-war War". We were constantly refused membership of the RSL and were given many different excuses such as: "Where are your medals?" "You didn't fight in a real war". This attitude turned a lot of Vietnam Veterans against the RSL and some still hold that hatred and refuse to join. This was a great loss to the RSL and now those WWII men who refused our membership are looking to Vietnam Veterans for leadership and the knowledge to carry the RSL to the next generation of veterans. Most RSL Sub Branches now have Vietnam Veterans in managerial positions and are keeping the RSL afloat.

Initially there was no Vietnam Veterans' Association, but veterans joined the South East Asian Veterans' Association which included veterans from Korean and Malayan conflicts in the 50's and 60's. The official history of the VVAA (Vietnam Veterans' Association of Australia) can be found at www.vvaa.org.au but the dates are very skimpy. It seems that the VVAA was originally called the Vietnam Veterans' Action Group and was formed in 1979.

The first true VVAA Sub Branch was formed in Launceston, Tasmania,  in May 1980 when several veterans got together and decided that they had best get things moving to keep mates together. I received an email from the Tasmanian State Secretary, Ann Cash, and it outlines the way it all started:

"The Launceston Sub-Branch is the longest running Sub-Branch in Australia. There were Branches before that but they had a different name. I think it was South East Asia association (or something like that). When Dick Holtsbaum had a phone call from someone on the mainland wanting them to join, he told them that if they changed their name to Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia he would have 100 members for them straight away. Launceston has gone from strength to strength from there, with some ups and downs on the way but is still going strong."

I also contacted the Secretary of Launceston Sub Branch, Carol Cunningham, OAM, and this is what she sent me:

"VVAA Launceston has just celebrated its 30 year commemorative dinner on the 27th November 2010 with 120 Veterans turning up. Thanks to Terry, Strop and me, it was a bloody good night. Sank $800 dollars of the good stuff.  The VVAA Launceston Sub Branch was 30 years old on the 20th may 2010. The Welcome Home Parade was in Sydney in 1987 and the opening of the Vietnam Veterans’ War Memorial was opened in October 1992 in Canberra. I hope this is OK."

So you can see that Launceston veterans were a very forward thinking group. 

Because most came back with psych problems - PTSD - we were shunned by the community and looked upon as second class citizens. Even Government members at the time were not prepared to assist in any way. When it comes down to it, the Government sent us to Vietnam in the first place and then denied us proper rehabilitation until much later. The Department of Veterans' Affairs was much fairer although their hands were tied by Government rulings. When the Labor Government took over, the then Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, tried to pass legislation that DVA must disprove any claims but was defeated and today it still remains that a veteran MUST prove his or her involvement and provide proof of disabilities. DVA is a great Government Department and mostly acts on claims very quickly. But .. there is a new breed of assessors, straight out of University who read the Rule Book as BLACK and WHITE, no grey areas at all. If your memory is not quite as good as it was when the incident occurred, you miss out because your claim falls either into the black or between black and white. All new assessors should spend at least 6 months in each service to gain first hand experience of the conditions service people work under.

The Royal Australian Navy was last to be recognised as Vietnam Veterans, along with other logistic support services such as the Merchant Navy and civilian entertainers (who richly deserve the recognition) and even some of the commercial pilots who ferried troops to and from Vietnam.
I received the General Service Medal (Malay Peninsular Clasp) which qualified me to join the RSL in Sydney. I went home to Launceston in 1974 and one of the first things I did was to approach the RSL to transfer my membership to the Launceston Sub Branch. At this time I had not received my Vietnam Logistic Support Medal and when I knocked on the little slide-up window, I was asked where I served and what was my service history. I said that I served in Malaya/Singapore/Indonesian waters and Vietnam. I was then told "We don't want your sort here!!" and the window was slammed shut.
After threatening to take Launceston RSL to State and Federal if necessary, the bloke (who will remain nameless but was a WWII man and a '39er) backed down and processed my transfer.

A mate of mine also had the same problem joining the Launceston RSL. After returning from Vietnam, he went into the RSL with his father, who was going to renew his membership and when my mate was told he wasn't welcome to join, his father tore up his RSL membership card and told them to "Shove it!!". Eventually they both were accepted and my mate is still a member of the RSL and was a Sub Branch President, and his father remained a member until his death.

So you can see, it was not an easy road to travel way back in the '60's and '70's. I don't blame the Vietnam Veterans who hold a hatred for the RSL, but they should now realise that it is their mates who are running the Sub Branches now and are always made welcome.


With so many young men and women returning from such as East Timor and Afghanistan, I hope that they realise that we Vietnam Veterans don't want them to have to go through what we did trying to join. I know that some have already decided not to as they remember what their fathers told them of their treatment.


Forgive and forget fellows and remember your mates.


They shall grow not old,
As we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them. 
Nor the years Condemn.
At the going down of the sun, 
And in the morning, 
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM  ........................................... LEST WE FORGET.