Long Tan, and our Vietnam Vets remembered.

This Friday, August 18th, will be the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan. On that day, a regiment of NVA and VC attacked a company of Aussies - D Company, 6th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment. They lost.

Information on Long Tan is available here, here, here, and here.

This has come to be, not just the anniversary of a battle, but a time to remember Australia's Vietnam Veterans, who did what their country and it's political leadership asked of them. In my view, they didn't lose. Vietnam was a place where the fight was taken to the communist adversary, where they were met, slowed, and where Australian servicemen served and fought in the best traditions of their forefathers.

History shows us that the ideological system they fought - on our behalf - folded a mere 14 years after that conflict ended, in 1989. So NO, they didn't fight in vain, nor did they lose.

So to our Vietnam Vets, I say; " Thank You for your service" and "Good On You Diggers".

Update: An editorial in The Australian 13Aug06;

"...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."

a post on Kev Gillet's blog;

"...I never thought I’d live to see the day. In todays Australian [Aug 13 2006] the Vietnamese have admitted Australia won the Battle of Long Tan. With several hundred Vietnamese versus 18 Australians dead; with the fact neither the North Vietnamese Army nor the local Viet Cong never ever engaged Australians in major battles after that day and with their plan to annhilate the Australian Task Force by attacking the base with a 2,500 man regiment stopped dead by 108 Aussie infantrymen from Delta Coy, 6RAR; one wonders why anyone could ever think differently...."

"...The two Australians greeted their Vietnamese counterparts with warm handshakes in the plantation, near the memorial cross to the 18 Australians who died in the battle. After some small talk, the crucial question was posed to the Vietcong commanders: who won the battle of Long Tan? Nguyen Minh Ninh, former vice-commander of Vietcong D445 Battalion, thought carefully before answering - and then dropped a bombshell that exploded 40 years of official history. “You won … tactically and militarily, you won,” he said..."

and a post on MilBlogs via John of Argghhh!

This is important people. The Vietnamese (ex) adverary, AND the mainstream media say you not only won that battle, but that the war itself was worth it! About time. Bravo Zulu guys.