As a 17-year-old Oberon lad, Bob Wilson thought a career as a diesel mechanic in the army sounded like a pretty good idea. It was 1963 and he’d never heard of Vietnam.
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But the apprenticeship never eventuated … on arrival he was put straight into the infantry and two years later found himself on the HMAS Sydney as it departed Sydney Harbour in the dead of night bound for bloody battlegrounds 10 days sail to the north.
Bob made two tours of Vietnam – one in 1965-66 and a second in 1968-69. He was a driver in the 1RAR and one of 250 Australian servicemen on the front line of what is known as the ‘forgotten battle’ of that much-maligned war … the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral/Balmoral, which began on Mothers’ Day May 12, 1968 and lasted for 26 days.
“Everyone thinks that Long Tan was the bloodiest battle and it only lasted four hours,” Bob, who now lives in Nambucca Heads, said.
“But Coral cost more lives than any other battle fought in Vietnam – 26 died and over 100 were wounded, and it remains all but unknown.”
“We went in on the basis of bad intel (intelligence), which told us enemy forces were going to hit Saigon. We were badly prepared and when ‘Charlie’ (the North Vietnamese regular army) hit, they just rose out of the long grass about 25 metres away. It was like we were set up as bait to draw the enemy out.
“The contacts continued almost daily for another month. It was our training and discipline that saw us win through in the end.”
Fifty years on and the lack of recognition has been an ongoing battle for the those involved.
But last week, on Thursday, that recognition finally came … Bob and his unit are to be honoured with a Unit Citation for Bravery.
The Defence Honours and Awards Tribunal posted the decision on its website stating that members had arrived at the recommendations unanimously.
It said: 'Throughout the submissions the theme of teamwork and collective gallantry is readily apparent and consistently referenced. The message to the Tribunal from all of the veterans of the battles was that, regardless of corps and parent unit, they had fought as a coordinated group and that everybody who was there deserve recognition.'
For Bob the feeling is one of relief.
“It feels like a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders … this is not about personal recognition, this is battle honours for our unit, it means we can carry the colours on our flag and the young blokes can wear the citation.”
He said following the lack of support and the isolation experienced for years by Vietnam veterans, he and his fellow ex-servicemen had reached out to the young servicemen and women of today.
“When we returned, World War Two veterans didn’t want to know us, they turned their backs. We want to make sure the young ones get the proper help and are well cared for. This citation is part of that.”
This Sunday, Mothers’ Day, will see Bob and his wife Narelle marking the 50th anniversary with mates up in Townsville.
“I’m terrified of crowds and I can’t go the ANZAC Dawn Services but when I’m with these blokes, it’s like a pair of old slippers, I can relax.”