Tony Lawrence served his country in Vietnam, and he is willing to admit that when his daughter read the poem dedicated to the Vietnam Vet at the Anzac Day Service in Horsham fifty years after Australian troops were withdrawn, it made him cry.
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"I don't mind admitting, it was an emotional moment for me," Tony Lawrence shared. "The Anzac Day Service holds a special place in my heart, and this year's event was special."
This year marked the 50th Anniversary since troops were officially withdrawn from the conflict in Vietnam, marking an end to the 12-year involvement by Australian Military Units.
All Vietnam Vets were not treated well on their return due to the politics surrounding the conflict and it's taken many years for them to be recognised in the same way as every other man or woman who served.
It has been said that soldiers give their lives whether they return home or not because they bring the battlefield home with them.
The poem read by Natalie Driller in honour of her father and all who served in Vietnam -
'The Vietnam War never ended; I still fight the war when I sleep. Too many men fell, and the memories are planted deep.
The Vietnam War never ended, but the memory of the war stayed alive. My friend is in a chair, but his legs are not there. And he fights every day to survive.
Another friend walks with a walker, another uses his cane, And another friend shoots with a needle, escaping the Vietnam pain.
No, the Vietnam War never ended; it will live until the day I die. War won't let you forget,
See, I'm a Vietnam Vet
And at night, when I sleep
I still cry.'
The RSL service sheet states that, From 1961 to 1975, over 60,000 Australians, including Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel and some civilians, including Salvation Army Officers, served in Vietnam.'
Approximately 523 were killed, and 2,400 were wounded.
Today, Vietnam's Veterans number 35,000, the largest contingent of Australia's National Veteran Community.
