Historic Battle
Australians in the battle of Long Tan click to enlarge
Long Tan veterans win medal battle
Mark Dodd and Patrick Walters August 14, 2008
Mark Dodd and Patrick Walters August 14, 2008
FORTY-TWO years after the Battle of Long Tan, Harry Smith's long campaign for due recognition for his men is over.
Mr Smith and two fellow officers will get top gallantry awards for the 100-odd men of D Company 6 RAR who on August 18, 1966, fought against 1500 North Vietnamese regular troops and Viet Cong guerillas.
This follows approval by the Rudd Government of the main recommendations of an independent review, by a panel of retired senior army officers, of the battle regarded as a classic study in the use of combined arms to defeat a superior enemy.
It restores the awards recommendations proposed shortly after the battle for the then major Smith and second lieutenants Dave Sabben and Geoff Kendall.
Eighteen Australians died and 21 were wounded in the battle, fought in monsoonal rain on a rubber plantation on the outskirts of the Australian base at Phuoc Tuy province.
Today's announcement is certain to reignite the controversy over conferring retrospective gallantry awards, despite the objections of veterans that they were denied appropriate recognition.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24177886-31477,00.html
posted by 10 men at 5:39 PM
1 Comments:
I believe it only fair to point out that the Australian awards system of the period was based upon a strict quota system, in contrast to the more open ended American awards system that merely required certain conditions be met. I understand from my Aussie mates that your system has since changed. Perhaps now former Captain John E.D. White can receive the Military Cross his Warrants believe he so richly deserved for his actions at Ngok Tavak during the battle for Kham Duc in early 1968. Rather than the M-I-D he received, reportedly because his brother Peter, serving with the Task Force, was likewise to receive an MC, and the Command did not deem it proper that two brothers receive such a high award for the same general period.
s/Lirelou
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