By ANEEKA SIMONIS
ON THE same day Australian troops were deployed to serve in Iraq, a local Vietnam veteran said he was confident the troops would have the support he and other returned servicemen didn’t have after the Vietnam War.
“It’s good. This time both parties are in support of the troops … everybody is behind them,” said Berwick’s Terry McDonald as he remembered the cold response he got when he returned from Vietnam in 1970.
Despite past receptions, Mr McDonald and fellow ex-serviceman Rodney Beevors were honoured for their sacrifice for the country in a Veterans Appreciation presentation by Federal Member for Latrobe Jason Wood MP on Thursday 18 September.
“We very much appreciate your service … the reason we have such a great country is because of the service of Australian men and women in the forces,” Mr Wood said.
Mr Beevors, who served at Morotai, an island north-west of New Guinea said the presentation was “a big occasion” for him.
The men were joined by proud members of their family when they received a certificate of appreciation signed by officials including Prime Minister Toby Abbott.
Mr McDonald said growing support for Australian servicemen and women was incredibly important to him.
“Each year when we come down to do the Anzac walk, I see more and more kids there and I think it’s fantastic to see more people getting behind the Anzacs,” he said.
Mr McDonald served in the infantry, stationed in Nui Dat, Vietnam between September 1969 and September 1970. He spent around 10 weeks with jungle patrols in search and destroy missions then returned to Nui Dat for recovery.
Mr Beevors began his service at Morotai in 1944 where he worked on the famous Royal Australian Air Force Kittyhawk fighter aircraft before he was deployed to Tarakan, an island north-east of Borneo. He returned home to Australia on his 21st birthday on 1 January 1946.
