For Stoke resident Graham Cramp, he recalls the battle of Long Tan in Vietnam as if it were yesterday.
Standing at the memorial for Returned and Services in Marsden Cemetery last week, Graham recounted the attack to a small group who stood to honour 60 years since the battle.
“I was a very skinny soldier, and I don’t think I was particularly good, but I was a very good typist.”
Battery Clark Graham was medevac’d back to New Zealand in July 1970 after his hearing was blown out by gunfire during his second tour.
The battle of Long Tan happened during August, just five months after he was deployed to Vietnam.
At 85, he still recalls the sounds 60 years ago that alerted them something was wrong.
“We raced down to the ammunition boxes and started breaking them open and raced them over to the guns, hand them over, and do it again.”
For Graham, what stays in his mind was the rain.
“It was pouring with rain, I’ll never forget it. It started raining when the guns opened fire, and the moment the gunfire stopped, so did the rain.
“We fired 1000 shells and wrecked the guns; we were out for six weeks before we got replacements.”
Those who stood at the memorial to honour those who fell, and returned, spoke of how it took decades for Vietnam veterans to be recognised alongside those who fought in WWI and WWII.
Six decades on, locals continue to honour those who served to protect the freedoms we can often take for granted.
