Vietnam Veterans' Day

On 18 August we commemorate Vietnam Veterans’ Day on the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966.

The Vietnam War was Australia's longest military engagement of the 20th Century.

By the time the war had come to an end, almost 60,000 Australians served during a decade of conflict between 1962 and 1972. Tragically, 523 Australians died and 3000 were wounded.

Of the 60,000 Australians who served, around 15,000 were conscripted through the National Service Scheme.

Upon return home, Vietnam veterans were not honoured for their service. In the decades since their homecoming, they have successfully petitioned for services and support to our veterans. I thank them for that important work and legacy which has ensured that all our veterans will be rightly honoured in the future.

I encourage all those who wish, to attend Payneham RSL’s Vietnam Veterans’ Day service on Sunday 11th August at 11:00am to commemorate and say thank you to our service men and women who fought with bravery and courage throughout the conflict.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs Long Tan Bursary scheme provides education funding to support eligible children and grandchildren of Australian Vietnam veterans. The scheme helps students to meet the cost of post-secondary education.

Applications for the Long Tan Bursary are open between 18 August and 31 October each year.

Every year, the scheme awards 37 bursaries, each worth up to $12,000 over 3 years of continuous full-time study.

If you would like help in applying for the Long Tan Bursary scheme, please contact my office.