Warwick remembers Battle of Long Tan
VETERANS and residents gathered in Leslie Park this morning to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.
Fought in Vietnam on 18 August 1966, the battle took place in a small plantation and involved 106 diggers and 2500 enemy soldiers.
Veterans' Support and Advocacy Service Australia Inc. Warwick branch president said it was the enemy soldiers were surrounding the plantation, attempting to overrun the Australians.
"Long Tan was the first big battle Australia was engaged in," he said.
Veterans' Support and Advocacy Service Australia Inc. Warwick branch secretary Barry Kelly said 18 Australians and 245 enemy soldiers were killed in the battle.
"There was a lot of bodies unaccounted for because they'd hook them and drag them away," he said.
"It stopped Nui Dat from being overrun and without that it would have been the end of the Australians."
Member for Maranoa David Littleproud gave an address this morning at the service, before wreaths were placed around the memorial in Leslie Park.
Warwick City Band bugler Brendan Babington played the last post as the crowd listened silently.
Mr Kelly said the battle had been commemorated in Warwick for the past 14 years.
"After the 1983 welcome home parade, we got together and thought about what we could do," he said.
"We thought maybe we should bring it to Warwick rather than people travelling to Brisbane."
