Today, on Vietnam Veterans’ Day, Australians are encouraged to pause and reflect on the service and sacrifice of all who served during the Vietnam War. This year we also recognise the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.
More than 60,000 Australians served in the Vietnam War, between 1962 and 1975. Australians in Vietnam faced many challenges during their service including a determined opposition that used guerilla warfare tactics amongst the tropical jungles and rice paddies of Vietnam.
The Vietnam War came at a significant cost for the Vietnamese people and those who served. For Australia, 524 lives were lost and many personnel returned home carrying the physical and emotional impacts of war. Vietnam Veterans’ Day is an opportunity to honour all Australians who served, remember those who lost their lives, and recognise the families whose support and sacrifices formed an important part of the Vietnam story.
Today’s date, 18 August, also marks 60 years since the Battle of Long Tan.
On this day in 1966, 105 soldiers from D Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), and 3 New Zealanders from 161 Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery, fought against a much larger North Vietnamese and Viet Cong force in the Long Tan rubber plantation. In torrential rain and under a sustained attack, Australian and New Zealand forces held their ground for more than three hours.
The battle claimed the lives of 18 Australians and left 24 wounded.
One of the most enduring symbols of the battle is the Long Tan Cross.
Built by Australian soldiers and erected on the battlefield in 1969, three years after the battle, the simple concrete cross was placed where some of the fiercest fighting had occurred. Veteran Neil Rankin, who fought at Long Tan and later helped identify the site for the memorial, recalled finding the location among rubber trees still scarred by gunfire.
"With the heel of my boot I marked the site where the cross was to be erected," he remembered.
What was originally intended as a memorial to the 18 Australians who died at Long Tan has since taken on a broader meaning. Former D Company commander Harry Smith described the cross as a symbol not only of those lost in the battle, but of all Australians who died or were wounded in Vietnam. The original cross is on permanent display at the Australian War Memorial.
The battle of Long Tan serves as a reminder of the broader sacrifices of all Australians who served during the conflict. Six decades later, it remains a powerful symbol of courage and mateship.
A poster commemorating Australian service at the Battle of Long Tan is available on the Anzac Portal.
To support communities marking Vietnam Veterans Day with their own local commemorations, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has released a digital Kitbag, containing resources for schools, organisations and community groups.
Applications for the Long Tan Bursary also open today, providing eligible children and grandchildren of Vietnam veterans with financial assistance of up to $12,000 over 3 years to support tertiary education. Applications close on 31 October 2026.
On Vietnam Veterans’ Day, we take a moment to reflect on the endurance and resilience of all who served in Vietnam. We remember those who lost their lives and recognise the families who were, and continue to be, impacted by service. Today, and always we ensure that the service of Vietnam veterans maintains its rightful place in Australia's history.
Lest we forget